Parliamentary questions

714. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the public funding that has been provided since 2020 to programmes aimed at increasing participation by underrepresented groups in political and public life, including women, minority ethnic groups, disabled people and young people, broken down by programme and annual expenditure. [49408/26]

715. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she has engaged with her counterparts from Malta, Germany, France, Belgium, Cyprus, Greece, Portugal and Spain on a matter (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49448/26]

716. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for an update on the timeline for her Department's progression of the general scheme of the Equality (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2024; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49517/26]

717. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she has considered rescinding section 19 of the Intoxicating Liquor Licence Act 2003 as part of a review of the equality acts, in order to ensure that there is equal access to licensed premises for those accompanied by a guide dog; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49535/26]

718. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for an update on her Department’s priorities for Ireland’s EU Council Presidency. [49573/26]

719. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her Department can investigate and address a delay in a person’s assessments of need (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49612/26]

720. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for an update on a query relating to the NCS (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49625/26]

721. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of WTE clinical nurse specialists based in each CDNT within Kerry as of 22 June 2026, in tabular form. [49633/26]

722. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to provide figures of the cost overruns by her Department, relative to the budgeted amount in Budget 2026 ; the cost overruns by her Department, relative to the budgeted amount in Budget 2026 for each State Agency under the aegis of her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49652/26]

723. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if services will be established at an early date (details supplied) in view of the large number of parents seeking such services for their children; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49688/26]

724. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the current waiting time for registration of new creches/early years services with Tusla; the number of applications waiting to be approved; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49691/26]

725. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of childcare services participating in the core funding scheme in County Waterford in each year since the scheme was established; the total amount of core funding allocated by her Department to those services in each year; the number of childcare places associated with those services in each year, a…

726. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of childcare services in County Waterford that, to her knowledge and based on information held by her Department, have ceased operating in each year since 2020; the estimated number of childcare places thereby lost; if she is satisfied with the trend; and if she will make a statement on the matter. …

727. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of new childcare services that, according to information available to her Department, commenced operation in County Waterford in each year since 2020; the number of additional childcare places thereby created; if she considers this sufficient to meet demand; and if she will make a statement on the m…

728. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of childcare places in County Waterford in each year since 2020, according to information available to her Department; the number of children aged under five years residing in the county in each of those years; the resulting number of childcare places per 100 children aged under five years; if her D…

729. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the total value of capital funding allocated by her Department to childcare providers in County Waterford in each year since 2020 under all capital investment and expansion schemes; the number of successful applications; the number of additional childcare places projected to result from those investments; the …

730. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number and value of applications received by her Department, or on behalf of her Department, from childcare providers in County Waterford under capital funding schemes in each year since 2020; the number approved and unsuccessful; if she is satisfied that the level of investment approved has met demand in …

731. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of childcare services in County Waterford participating in the national childcare scheme in each year since 2020; the total value of subsidies paid in respect of children attending those services in each year; if her Department has assessed the impact of those subsidies on affordability for families…

732. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether her Department holds information on the average fees charged by childcare providers participating in Core Funding nationally and in County Waterford; if so, the average annual fee in each year since 2022 and the annual increase or decrease; if not, how her Department assesses whether Core Funding is re…

733. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of staff employed in childcare services participating in Core Funding in County Waterford in each year since 2020, according to information available to her Department; the corresponding national figures; if she is satisfied that staffing levels are sufficient to meet existing and projected childcar…

734. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the total amount provided by her Department in each year since its introduction to support increases in childcare worker pay arising from Employment Regulation Orders and Joint Labour Committee agreements; the amount allocated to services in County Waterford; if her Department has assessed whether these measur…

735. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of childcare services in County Waterford that have received support under the building blocks expansion grant scheme and any successor expansion scheme; the value of funding approved in each case; the number of additional childcare places her Department expects each project to deliver; the number d…

736. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of additional childcare places her Department projected would be created nationally and in County Waterford through core funding, capital investment programmes and childcare expansion schemes since 2022; the number actually created to date, according to information available to her Department; if sh…

737. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether her Department collects, receives or holds information on childcare waiting lists nationally or on a county basis; if so, the latest figures available for County Waterford and nationally; if not, whether she considers it appropriate that neither she nor her Department has access to comprehensive waitin…

738. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to urgently provide additional respite beds for adults with profound disabilities in County Kerry; the steps being taken to provide additional respite beds; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49796/26]