2411. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the safeguards in place to prevent under-identification of such children, particularly in light of evidence that twice-exceptional children are already under-recognised within Irish education and disability services. [24393/26]
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
2412. Deputy Paul Donnelly 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. [24394/26]
2413. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the training or guidance is being provided to assessment officers and multidisciplinary teams to ensure that complex presentations, including masking and twice-exceptionality, are recognised under the revised model. [24395/26]
2414. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her Department intends to review the implementation of the revised assessment of need framework to ensure that no cohort of children is excluded from identification due to the streamlining of assessment processes. [24396/26]
2430. Deputy Ged Nash 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; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24600/26]
2431. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the way in which the revised assessment of need framework ensures that children with uneven developmental profiles, including those who may be gifted or twice-exceptional (i.e. children with both high ability and additional needs such as autism, ADHD, or dyslexia), will be appropriately identified within the system; and if she will make a …
2432. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her Department has conducted any impact assessment on the way in which the revised assessment of need 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 th…
2433. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will clarify if access to cognitive or psychological assessment remains available where there is evidence of significant intra-individual discrepancy, asynchronous development, or unexplained underachievement; if consideration has been given to the potential for increased reliance on private assessments arising from any restriction …
2434. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the training or guidance being provided to assessment officers and multidisciplinary teams to ensure that complex presentations, including masking and twice-exceptionality, are recognised under the revised model; if he will confirm whether his Department plans to review the implementation of the revised assessment of need framework, to ens…
2518. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the reason a person (details supplied) has been waiting for an assessment of needs for their child since applying ten months ago in June 2025. [25758/26]
2529. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 1594 of 18 March 2026, which provides a breakdown of 16,960 people who are waiting for an assessment of need for over three months, if she will provide the breakdown by age categories (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25891/26]
2531. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children in Longford–Westmeath currently awaiting assessment from Children’s Disability Network Teams; the average waiting time; the longest waiting time; and the steps being taken to reduce these delays. [25937/26]
2532. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children per county currently awaiting assessment from Children’s Disability Network Teams; the average waiting time; the longest waiting time; and the steps being taken to reduce these delays. [25938/26]
2576. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she has considered or approved the use of private or independent providers to reduce waiting lists for children awaiting disability assessments and interventions; and if so, to provide details. [27017/26]
2597. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether her Department has assessed the potential impact of the revised assessment of need model on the identification of children whose needs may be masked by high cognitive ability or compensatory functioning; the safeguards that are in place to prevent under-identification of twice-exceptional children; and if she will make a s…
2598. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether cognitive or psychological assessments will remain available under the revised assessment of need framework where there is evidence of significant developmental discrepancy or unexplained underachievement; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27188/26]
2599. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the training or guidance that is being provided to assessment officers and multidisciplinary teams to ensure complex developmental presentations, including masking and twice-exceptionality, are recognised under the revised assessment of need framework; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27189/26]
2600. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether her Department plans to review the implementation of the revised assessment of need framework to ensure that no cohort of children is excluded from identification or support as a result of the streamlined assessment process; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27190/26]
2602. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children waiting for an assessment of need, at the end of quarter 1 2024-2026, by county; and the number of applications received and assessments conducted year-to-date, in tabular form. [27290/26]
2606. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children in County Waterford waiting for an assessment of need at the end of quarter 1 2024-2026; and the number of applications received and assessments conducted year-to-date. [27294/26]
402. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether the recently revised assessment of need framework limits reduces access to cognitive assessment for children, including in cases where intellectual disability is not suspected; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23131/26]
403. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the way in which the revised assessment of need 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; and if she wil…
404. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether 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; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23133/26]
405. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the safeguards that are in place to prevent under-identification of children whose needs are masked by high cognitive ability or compensatory functioning, particularly in light of evidence that twice-exceptional children are already under-recognised within Irish education and disability services; and if she will make a statement on …
406. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman 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 in children; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23135/26]