Questions

480. Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the amount of new funding allocated in Budget 2026 for new respite sessions; the number of new overnight respite sessions and new day respite sessions that will be funded; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40846/26]

481. Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the amount of new funding allocated in Budget 2026 for new personal assistance hours; the number of new personal assistance hours this will fund; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40847/26]

482. Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the amount of new funding allocated in Budget 2026 for additional home support hours; the way in which that money will be spent; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40848/26]

483. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will support the standardising and publishing of accessibility information on step-free access and toilet availability for public venues to allow people plan access in advance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40895/26]

484. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the reason a person (details supplied) was not considered for a vacancy; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40943/26]

485. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will examine core funding guidelines, specifically in relation to temporary room closures (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40974/26]

486. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will extend reporting obligations by early years providers in core funding in order that it is not just in cases in which there is a closure for more than four weeks; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40975/26]

487. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of young people in receipt of Tusla aftercare supports in each year since 2020, broken down by age cohort including 18, 19, 20, 21 and over 21 years of age; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41009/26]

488. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of young people whose formal aftercare supports ceased upon reaching 21 years of age in each year since 2020; the number who subsequently re-engaged with Tusla services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41010/26]

489. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether Tusla operates any discretionary mechanism allowing aftercare supports to continue beyond 21 years of age for vulnerable care-experienced young adults with complex mental health, disability, addiction, homelessness or trauma-related needs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41011/26]

490. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether Tusla maintains any national data regarding homelessness, emergency accommodation use, or housing instability among care leavers following the cessation of aftercare supports; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41012/26]

491. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of care leavers known to Tusla who entered emergency accommodation, homeless services or supported housing settings within two years of leaving care in each year since 2020; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41013/26]

492. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether Tusla maintains any longitudinal outcome tracking regarding care-experienced young adults following discharge from foster care, residential care or special care settings, including outcomes relating to housing, education, employment, mental health or addiction; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41014/26]

493. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether Tusla operates any specific transition framework for young people leaving special care settings into adult or community-based living arrangements; whether any national standards apply in this area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41015/26]

494. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of young people discharged from special care units in each year since 2020; the number who subsequently experienced placement breakdown, homelessness, emergency accommodation use, psychiatric admission or re-referral to Tusla services within 12 months; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41016/26]

495. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether Tusla intends to introduce a national reporting mechanism recording the number of Emergency Care Order applications under section 13 of the Child Care Act 1991 that are granted, refused, struck out, adjourned or withdrawn. [41019/26]

496. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether their Department considers the absence of centrally recorded outcome data relating to Emergency Care Order applications under section 13 of the Child Care Act 1991 to represent a governance or oversight gap. [41020/26]

497. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children taken to safety under section 12 of the Child Care Act 1991 in each year from 2020 to 2025, broken down by Tusla area and Garda division. [41021/26]

498. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether Tusla conducts any national audit, review or proportionality assessment regarding the use of emergency child removal powers under sections 12 and 13 of the Child Care Act 1991. [41022/26]

499. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether any national guidance, benchmark or threshold framework exists governing the use of Emergency Care Order applications under section 13 of the Child Care Act 1991. [41023/26]

500. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether their Department receives periodic reports regarding the frequency, outcome or regional variation of Emergency Care Order applications under section 13 of the Child Care Act 1991. [41024/26]

501. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether any review has been undertaken since 2020 regarding the adequacy of aftercare supports for care-experienced young adults over 21 years of age, particularly those with histories of special care, psychiatric admission, severe trauma or placement instability; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41130/26]

502. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether consideration has been given to extending statutory aftercare eligibility beyond 21 years of age for vulnerable care-experienced young adults with complex needs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41131/26]

503. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the new residential respite services being provided in County Kerry, in relation to children and adults; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41293/26]

504. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of childcare places currently available in County Kerry, broken down by childcare setting and age category; the number of children currently on waiting lists for childcare places in the county; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41340/26]