Parliamentary questions

689. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will consider reducing the minimum entry age for children attending naíonraí, without altering eligibility for the ECCE scheme, in order to support enrolment and the sustainability of rural early years settings such as (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48847/26]

690. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether increasing the current entitlement to paid paternity leave from two weeks is under consideration by her Department; whether any review of paternity leave arrangements is underway; the measures being examined to strengthen supports for fathers and families in the early months following the birth or adoption …

691. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if the case of a person (details supplied) who, having been diagnosed on the autism spectrum in 2022 and who has yet to be provided with services, including psychology and occupational therapy, will be considered; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48906/26]

692. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether Tusla maintains a national dataset recording the length of time individual children spend in temporary care arrangements prior to achieving a permanency outcome; if such a dataset exists, to provide the average and median length of time spent in temporary care prior to permanency for each year from 2020 to 202…

693. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she is aware of “huge concern” reported by the Gardaí in relation to Tusla’s handling of a case (details supplied) in County Meath; if the handling of this case has been reviewed by Tusla and independently; the findings of the review; the actions that have been taken arising from it; and if she will make a stat…

694. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of the 904 residential placements for adults in Cork that are currently unoccupied. [49075/26]

695. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the supports that have been given to staff in Oberstown Children Detention Campus to prevent industrial action; the steps her Department is taking to increase safe levels of staffing; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49081/26]

696. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of assaults on staff in Oberstown Children Detention Campus in each of the years from 2021 to date, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49082/26]

697. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to urgently assist a family in County Kerry with respite and services (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49083/26]

698. Deputy Eoin Hayes asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the total cost of engagement with a company (details supplied) in each of the years 2020 to 2025, across her Department, by project, year and value; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49086/26]

699. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if the case of an early education centre (details supplied) which is in financial difficulty will be examined; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49170/26]

700. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the total number of employees in the National Guardian Ad Litem (GAL) Service on the date of commencement, specifying the number of GALs employed nationally; and the total number of employees who are on secondment or career break from Tusla. [49172/26]

701. Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she is satisfied that Tusla is fully funded to year end 2026; and if Tusla has requested supplementary funding outside its allocation for 2026. [49202/26]

702. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the steps being taken to address delays in the Garda vetting process, particularly for the early education and childcare sector, where providers report waiting up to eight weeks for vetting clearance for new employees; the impact these delays are having on services’ ability to meet statutory staff-to-child ratio…

703. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the protocols that exist to ensure concerns are reported to child protection services where appropriate; the number of cases involving minors presenting for such services in each of the past six years. [49230/26]

704. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality further to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 639, 640 and 641 of 23 June 2026, to confirm directly whether Tusla’s data hub or any internal case management system captures the length of time individual children spend awaiting a permanency decision; if such case level data is captured, to confirm whether it has ever been co…

705. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of section 38 and section 39 disability providers classified by the HSE as financially challenged, financially vulnerable, or carrying legacy deficits, broken down by year from 2020 to 2026; and the names of the providers in each category for 2026. [49270/26]

706. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the total value of cash acceleration payments made to section 38 and section 39 disability providers in each year from 2020 to 2026; the number of providers that received such payments each year; and the names of the providers that received cash acceleration funding in 2026. [49271/26]

707. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether the HSE has made a formal determination of risk of service reduction, service interruption, or provider failure for any named section 38 or section 39 disability provider since 2020; and if so, to list the providers and the dates of those determinations. [49272/26]

708. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality given that HIQA regulatory compliance costs for section 38 and section 39 disability providers have not been financially or risk assessed prior to implementation, whether the HSE now intends to carry out such an assessment; and if so, the timeline for completion. [49273/26]

709. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of section 38 or section 39 disability providers that have formally notified the HSE since 2020 of an inability to maintain existing service levels due to staffing shortages, financial deficits, or regulatory compliance costs; and the dates and outcomes of each such notification. [49274/26]

710. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the specific target and timeline, that has been set to reduce Tusla's reliance on private residential childcare placements; the date this target was approved; the metric against which progress will be measured; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49284/26]

711. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if Tusla's reliance on private residential childcare placements is included as an item on Tusla's Corporate Risk Register; if so, the date it was added and its current risk rating; if not, the reason for its exclusion; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49285/26]

712. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the average annual cost per placement for a child in a Tusla-owned or community and voluntary residential placement compared to the average annual cost per placement with a private provider, in each of the years 2021 to 2025; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49286/26]

713. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of new development posts each CDNT in County Meath has been allocated; the basis on which these posts are being divided between teams; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49324/26]