1815. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any waiting-list analysis has been undertaken examining the interaction between delays in autism assessment services, ADHD services, CAMHS, or child psychology services and the assessment of minors presenting with gender-related distress; and if they will provide details. [41672/26]
Topics / Disabilities Assessments
A subject heading for parliamentary questionsDisabilities Assessments
581 questions from 109 TDs, between 22 January 2025 and 22 October 2026.
581
questions
571 written, 10 oral
109
TDs have asked
11
parties and groups
Independents counted together
8
departments asked
Questions per month
The record holds no questions for August, when the Dáil does not sit.
Jan 2025Oct 2026
Show as a table
| Month | Questions |
|---|---|
| January 2025 | 13 |
| February 2025 | 49 |
| March 2025 | 33 |
| April 2025 | 28 |
| May 2025 | 24 |
| June 2025 | 8 |
| July 2025 | 53 |
| August 2025 | 0 |
| September 2025 | 23 |
| October 2025 | 24 |
| November 2025 | 34 |
| December 2025 | 33 |
| January 2026 | 23 |
| February 2026 | 30 |
| March 2026 | 61 |
| April 2026 | 76 |
| May 2026 | 16 |
| June 2026 | 13 |
| July 2026 | 22 |
| August 2026 | 0 |
| September 2026 | 12 |
| October 2026 | 6 |
Who asks, by party
The party each TD belonged to on the day, in alphabetical order. Parties differ a lot in size, and members of the Government answer questions rather than ask them, so this shows who raised it, not how much a party cares about it.
The TDs who asked most
Members of the Government answer questions rather than ask them. Each question counts once.
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33
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28
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24
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19
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15
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15
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13
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11
Asked of
Debated under the same heading
Debates whose official heading is exactly these words.
The questions
1816. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any formal policy exists governing the sequencing of assessment where a minor presenting with gender-related distress also presents with suspected or diagnosed autism spectrum disorder, ADHD, trauma-related conditions, severe mental health difficulties, or complex safeguarding concerns; and if they will provide details of such policy or guidance. [41673/2…
2376. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Health if she will be revising the recently announced protocol for autism assessments following criticism of same by relevant stakeholder groups; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43801/26]
167. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the steps taken by the HSE to identify, assess and engage potential private providers in relation to the proposed outsourcing of occupational therapy and speech and language therapy services for the Children’s Disability Network Team in North Kildare; the considerations that informed the decision not to proceed; and if she will make…
176. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the reason the number of assessment of need reports overdue for completion in Cork increased by approximately 600 cases from 1,193 in Q1 2025 to 1,872 in Q1 2026; the additional resources that are being allocated to address this backlog given that applications received also increased by 31% from 1,568 in 2024 to 2,056 in 2025; and…
177. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the reason the number of assessment of need cases overdue to commence Stage 2 in Cork more than doubled from 43 in Q1 2025 to 93 in Q1 2026, representing an increase of over 100%; the specific measures that are being put in place to address this acceleration in delays at Stage 2; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40…
190. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the current waiting times for assessment of need for children in Cork north-west; the measures being taken to reduce delays; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40685/26]
237. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Health for an update in relation to an assessment of needs request (details supplied). [40540/26]
272. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health the current number of children waiting for autism assessment across Cork, given that HSE South-West data confirms a combined total of 2,174 children waiting across Cork north and east and Cork south and west integrated health areas; the steps being taken to address the fact that there are currently only three providers delivering autism assessments in the r…
273. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health her plans to establish a primary care autism assessment team within HSE South-West given that the Cork Oireachtas briefing of 18 May 2026 confirms that no assessments are currently conducted directly within primary care HSE South-West; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40633/26]
1021. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the actions her Department is taking to address significant delays in the assessment of needs process (details supplied); the measures being taken to ensure timely assessments and prevent children from being left without essential educational and developmental supports; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39941/26]
1042. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if urgent intervention will be provided in the case of a child (details supplied) currently awaiting assessment through a children's disability network team, where serious behavioural and safety concerns have been raised by the family; if the child's assessment can be prioritised; if interim behavioural or family supports can be made…
231. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will provide details on the number of the up to 6,500 clinical assessments funded through the Assessment of Need Targeted Waitlist Initiative under Budget 2026 have been delivered to date; the number of those assessments that have been allocated to families in the HSE South West region covering Cork and Kerry; the projected…
314. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of people waiting for ADHD assessments through or funded by the HSE, by region and by waiting time; the number waiting at the start of 2021; and the number waiting at the latest available data point, in tabular form. [38424/26]
945. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to review the process of assessments for autism in children (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34288/26]
1099. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Health why dyslexic assessment of children in Ireland is solely carried out by educational psychologists, when current wait for a dyslexic assessment is reported to be around eighteen months, Dublin College University has a course to train teachers to assess dyslexia, and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade's 2025 'Diaspora Strategy' aimed to promote opportun…
428. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for an update on the date an assessment of needs will be carried out for a child (details supplied). [33480/26]
806. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the current waiting time for an assessment of need in County Cork; the number of children currently awaiting assessment, broken down by length of time waiting and by Children's Disability Network Team; the specific measures being taken to reduce this backlog; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33048/26]
807. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children in County Cork who received an assessment of need within the statutory timeframe in each of the years 2023, 2024 and 2025 to date in 2026; the number who did not; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33049/26]
400. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the current time frame to receive a decision on an assessment of needs once submitted in Galway; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31750/26]
230. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality further to Parliamentary Question Nos. 413, 414, 415, 416, 417, 418, 419 and 420, of 26 March 2026, the measures in place for her Department to identify twice exceptional children outside of the assessment of needs process (details supplied). [31091/26]
239. Deputy Gillian Toole asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if the recently revised assessment of need framework limits or reduces access to cognitive assessment for children, including in cases where intellectual disability is not suspected. [31345/26]
240. Deputy Gillian Toole asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the way in which the revised framework ensures that children with uneven developmental profiles, including those who may be gifted or twice exceptional that is, children with both high ability and additional needs such as autism, ADHD, or dyslexia will be appropriately identified within the system. [31346/26]
241. Deputy Gillian Toole asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her Department has conducted any impact assessment on how the revised model may affect the identification of children whose needs are masked by high cognitive ability or compensatory functioning; the safeguards in place to prevent under-identification of such children, particularly in light of evidence that twice-exceptional childre…
242. Deputy Gillian Toole asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if access to cognitive or psychological assessment remains available where there is evidence of significant intra-individual discrepancy, asynchronous development, or unexplained underachievement; the consideration that has been given to the potential for increased reliance on private assessments arising from any restriction in public …