289. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether 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. [22626/26]
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
290. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the way in which the recently 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 sh…
291. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether the Department has conducted any impact assessment on how recently revised assessment of need framework 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 evid…
292. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to clarify if access to cognitive or psychological assessment remains available where there is evidence of significant intra-individual discrepancy, asynchronous development, or unexplained underachievement; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22629/26]
293. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if consideration has been given to the potential for increased reliance on private assessments arising from any restriction in public access to cognitive assessment, the implications this may have for equity of access; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22630/26]
294. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú 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 assessment of need model; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22631/26]
295. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to confirm whether the 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; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22632/26]
297. Deputy Paul Nicholas Gogarty asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether 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. [22836/26]
298. Deputy Paul Nicholas Gogarty asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality how the revised assessment of needs 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 will make…
299. Deputy Paul Nicholas Gogarty asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether her Department has conducted any impact assessment on how the revised assessment of needs 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. [22840/26]
300. Deputy Paul Nicholas Gogarty asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the safeguards that are in place to prevent under-identification of such children, particularly in light of evidence that twice-exceptional children are already under-recognised within education and disability services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22842/26]
301. Deputy Paul Nicholas Gogarty 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; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22844/26]
302. Deputy Paul Nicholas Gogarty asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether consideration has been given to the potential for increased reliance on private assessments arising from any restriction in public access to cognitive assessment, and the implications this may have for equity of access; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22846/26]
303. Deputy Paul Nicholas Gogarty asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the training or guidance that is being provided to assessment officers and multidisciplinary teams to ensure that complex presentations, including masking and twice-exceptionality, are recognised under the revised assessment of needs model; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22848/26]
304. Deputy Paul Nicholas Gogarty asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether 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; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22850/26]
837. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether 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; the way in which the revised framework ensures that children with uneven developmental profiles, including those who may be gifted or twice-that …
838. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether 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 that are in place to prevent under-identification of such children, particularly i…
839. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the training or guidance being provided to assessment of need officers and multidisciplinary teams to ensure that complex presentations, including masking and twice-exceptionality, are recognised under the revised model; if her Department intends to review the implementation of the revised assessment of need framework to ensure tha…
844. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the number of children currently awaiting assessment for augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) supports; the number awaiting provision of AAC devices following assessment; the average waiting time for such supports; and whether additional funding has been allocated to reduce delays. [21443/26]
1660. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Health if her Department will develop a scheme to allow parents of children who need access to autism assessment to procure an assessment privately, and be reimbursement for such assessment, given the long backlogs in assessment through the public system; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18258/26]
1819. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Health if the Government intends to refund or directly pay for privately sourced Paediatric Community Nursing Assessment Tool (PCAT) assessments in cases where significant delays exist in the provision of PCAT assessments by the HSE. [19097/26]
227. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children in Westmeath awaiting an assessment of need. [17452/26]
231. Deputy Johnny Mythen asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children in County Wexford waiting for an assessment of need at the latest available point in 2024 and 2025; the number of assessments conducted in 2024 and year-to-date in 2026; the number of applications received in those periods, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17697/26]
233. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether there is a reimbursement scheme for children who receive an autism assessment privately due to lengthy waits in the public system. [17861/26]
316. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health the current waiting times for a child to undergo and then complete an assessment for autism; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17732/26]