Assisted Decision-Making

361. Deputy Catherine Ardagh asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the steps a person must take in order to create an enduring power of attorney in an emergency situation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33224/25]

715. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to provide details of the amount spent or incurred by the Decision Support Service on PR consultants or PR advice in respect of the calendar year 2023, calendar year 2024 and 1 January 2025 to 31 May 2025; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32400/25]

716. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the position regarding a review of the effectiveness of the Director of the Decision Support Service provided for under section 102(3) of the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act 2015; if it has been completed; the timeline for when the report of the review will be published; and if she will make a statement on the …

770. Deputy Aisling Dempsey asked the Minister for Health the reason all provisions of the Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Act 2024 must be commenced together; and the length of time the process take. [31929/25]

771. Deputy Aisling Dempsey asked the Minister for Health the reason the previously agreed schedule for the commencement order for the Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Act 2024 was changed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31930/25]

848. Deputy Aisling Dempsey asked the Minister for Health the timeline for the appointment of the chief executive of the Assisted Human Reproduction Regulatory Authority, given the closing date is 19 June; and once appointed, whether the chief executive will have the authority to extract sections of the proposed legislation and implement them individually. [32356/25]

940. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will consider reviewing the eligibility criteria for the EmployAbility Service to include individuals attending Section 39-funded organisations who are seeking employment but may not currently qualify; if he will consider the allocation of a dedicated local employment support officer in areas such as Mulhuddart to assist indivi…

410. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Health in light of the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act 2015, which was fully commenced on 26 April 2023, to confirm if in cases where an individual is non-verbal and has very limited capacity the input of family members is actively considered in decisions regarding the use of psychotropic medications; and if she will make a statement on the m…

411. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Health in the absence of a formally appointed Decision-Making Representative (DMR) under the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act 2015, the safeguards in place to ensure that appropriate and rights-based decisions are made for such individuals; who is authorised to make decisions regarding psychotropic medication use when the individual lacks capa…

388. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Health if a residential institution is permitted to increase the dosage of antipsychotic medication for an autistic adult who is non-verbal and has a moderate to severe intellectual disability, without the informed consent of the parent or legal guardian, in cases where no decision-making representative has been formally appointed under the Assisted …

389. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Health the safeguards in place to prevent inappropriate use of psychotropic medication in non-verbal adults with intellectual disabilities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26682/25]

1160. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Health the rights parents or guardians have to be consulted and involved in medical decisions during the decision-making representative application process; if supports are available to families struggling with legal costs regarding same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24215/25]

243. Deputy Catherine Ardagh asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if she will provide details (as at 1 October 2024 and as at 1 April 2025) on the number of persons working in any capacity on the helpdesk to assist with the creation of enduring powers of attorney at the Decision Support Service; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18050/25]

244. Deputy Catherine Ardagh asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if she will provide details of the level of funding that was provided to the Decision Support Service during 2024, and any such additional funding that has been provided during 2025, for the purpose of facilitating the engagement of additional staffing; and if she will make a statement on the …

245. Deputy Catherine Ardagh asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if she will provide details of the expenditure incurred, broken down by year, on developing social media videos on topics relating to the services provided by the Decision Support Service; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18052/25]

246. Deputy Catherine Ardagh asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the plans developed to reduce the existing six-month time period that it takes the Decision Support Service to process an application to create an enduring power of attorney; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18053/25]

754. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth further to Parliamentary Question No. 589 of 11 June 2024, the steps she has taken to resolve the impasse between an organisation (details supplied) and the Decision Support Service whereby persons are unable to complete and enduring power of attorney (EPA) application following instruction …

816. Deputy Catherine Ardagh asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the total number, by month of the number of enduring power of attorney that have entered into force, that is, have been activated pursuant to section 71C of the Assisted Decision-Making Capacity Act 2015, as amended as of 31 January 2025, since the Decision Support Service's establishment, in …

817. Deputy Catherine Ardagh asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the breakdown of the total number, by month of applications for the creation of an enduring power of attorney that have been registered pursuant to section 69 of the Assisted Decision-Making Capacity Act 2015, as amended as of 31 January 2025, by month, since the Decision Support Service's est…

818. Deputy Catherine Ardagh asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the breakdown of the total number, by month of applications, for the creation of an enduring power of attorney that have been completed, that is, application for registration submitted pursuant to section 68(1) of the Assisted Decision-Making Capacity Act 2015, as amended as of 31 January 2025…

819. Deputy Catherine Ardagh asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the total number of applications for the creation of an enduring power of attorney that are active on the Decision Support Service system as of 31 January 2025; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8138/25]

820. Deputy Catherine Ardagh asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the breakdown of the total number, by month of applications, for the creation of an enduring power of attorney that have been attempted or begun or initiated in any way on the DSS portal, in the period 1 January 2024 up to 1 January 2025, but in respect of which there has been no user activity…

821. Deputy Catherine Ardagh asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to provide details, by reference to the period during the period 1 February 2024 to 31 January 2025, of the average processing time form the point of submission of an application to the point of the registration of an enduring power of attorney for both online and paper applications for an app…

184. Deputy Tom Brabazon asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of enduring powers of attorney that have been created since the commencement of the Assistant Decision Making (Capacity) Act 2015. [6467/25]

243. Deputy Marie Sherlock asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if she is satisfied that the intent of the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) (Amendment) Act 2022 is working as intended given that a tiny number of solicitors (details supplied) across the State will only provide the legal practitioner statement as part of the Decision Support Service endurin…