Disability Services

674. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to review the case of a child (details supplied) and allow for the necessary care and interventions to be put in place; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56534/25]

680. Deputy Marie Sherlock asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the Department’s forecasts for the number of day service places and for the number of residential places that will be required by adults with intellectual disability in the next five and ten years respectively. [56713/25]

681. Deputy Marie Sherlock asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of additional overnight stays and additional respite stays provided for in Budget 2026 on top of existing provision. [56714/25]

682. Deputy Marie Sherlock asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the current estimate of unmet need for residential care places for adults with an intellectual disability. [56715/25]

683. Deputy Marie Sherlock asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of additional residential care places delivered in each of the years 2019 to date in 2025. [56716/25]

684. Deputy Marie Sherlock asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the locations of the 250 new residential care placements in 2025 announced in Budget 2025. [56717/25]

685. Deputy Marie Sherlock asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of respite houses for adults with an intellectual disability across each integrated health area for each of the years 2020-2025. [56718/25]

686. Deputy Marie Sherlock asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of day services users who are adults with an intellectual disability across each integrated health area for each of the years 2020-2025. [56719/25]

691. Deputy Catherine Ardagh asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to provide a breakdown of the total number of respite hours currently available to children with disabilities in the CHO7 area; the types of respite provided (e.g. in-home, after-school, Saturday, residential, or emergency respite); the number of children currently availing of respite services and those on the wa…

692. Deputy Catherine Ardagh asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the way in which the increased disability funding in Budget 2026 will be ring-fenced for children's respite services, including after-school and weekend respite; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56850/25]

693. Deputy Catherine Ardagh asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the way in which funding for respite in each community healthcare organisation has changed over the past five years, with particular reference to CHO7; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56851/25]

694. Deputy Catherine Ardagh asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if private respite providers are being contracted to supplement oversubscribed HSE-run services; and if not, the reason; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56852/25]

695. Deputy Catherine Ardagh asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the average waiting time for a child to access respite services in each CHO; the way in which these figures have changed since 2020; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56853/25]

696. Deputy Catherine Ardagh asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children with complex needs which are currently awaiting access to any form of respite (in-home, after-school, or weekend) in CHO7; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56854/25]

697. Deputy Catherine Ardagh asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of new respite referrals which have been refused in the past 12 months; the primary reasons given for refusal; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56855/25]

698. Deputy Catherine Ardagh asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the eligibility criteria for children's respite; if there are age restrictions (such as the rule preventing approval under age eight); the rationale for same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56856/25]

699. Deputy Catherine Ardagh asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will consider introducing short-term or emergency respite options for children under eight with complex needs, in cases where families are in crisis; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56857/25]

700. Deputy Catherine Ardagh asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the measures being taken to ensure equitable access to respite across regions, given the reports of oversubscription in some CHOs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56858/25]

701. Deputy Catherine Ardagh asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to provide a breakdown of staff vacancies across respite and children's disability services; the way in which these vacancies are impacting the delivery of after-school and weekend supports; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56859/25]

702. Deputy Catherine Ardagh asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the plans in place to expand the respite workforce, including SNAs, care assistants, and respite nurses, in 2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56860/25]

703. Deputy Catherine Ardagh asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will introduce a national recruitment and retention strategy specific to respite and community support services for children with disabilities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56861/25]

704. Deputy Catherine Ardagh asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the in-home supports which are currently funded for children with high support needs; if these can be expanded as an interim measure while respite services are oversubscribed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56862/25]

705. Deputy Catherine Ardagh asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if CDNT teams have discretion to approve in-home respite on compassionate grounds; the frequency with which this has occurred in the past 12 months; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56863/25]

706. Deputy Catherine Ardagh asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will publish quarterly updates on the number of children receiving respite; the number waiting, by CHO; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56864/25]

707. Deputy Catherine Ardagh asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the oversight mechanisms which exist to ensure that HSE disability managers are delivering on national respite targets; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56865/25]