Vol. 1081 No. 4
99. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she has engaged with the Minister for Social Protection on providing a State pension for foster carers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13216/26]
I raise again the need for a State pension for foster carers. I appreciate that this mainly comes under the Minister for Social Protection. However, in light of that, what engagement has the Minister had with that Minister with regard to the commitment in the programme for Government, which I acknowledge, to ensure a State pension for foster carers is delivered as quickly as possible?
I have discussed this with the Deputy on a number of occasions and we are absolutely agreed on the importance of foster carers. There is appreciation of and agreement on that across the House. Foster carers play a vital role in enabling our most vulnerable children to live in a safe, secure and stable home environment.
While eligibility for the State pension, as the Deputy said, is a matter for the Minister for Social Protection, I know this is a matter of genuine concern for foster carers. The programme for Government 2025 introduced a number of commitments relating to foster care. This included commitments to examine and develop a pension solution for foster carers in recognition of the enormous contribution they make to vulnerable children in our society. I have raised this matter directly with my colleague the Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Calleary, and can confirm that subsequent engagement will now occur between the relevant departmental officials. This engagement will occur in accordance with my ongoing commitment to support foster carers and within the context of the related programme for Government commitments, which I have already outlined.
Work is under way within the Department on the development of a national policy framework for alternative care, which will deliver on a separate programme for Government commitment to develop a national plan on alternative care. It is in this context that we are also engaging with the Minister. Officials of the Department are developing the framework on the basis of evidence and robust consultation with stakeholders, care-experienced individuals and the public. I am informed that the consultation process has already included a number of constructive engagements with foster carers and their representative bodies. My officials and I will continue to listen carefully to what they say, including in relation to eligibility for the State pension and other key matters. I will continue to work closely with the Minister, Deputy Calleary, and other Government colleagues regarding the progression of these programme for Government commitments. Significant work has already occurred in relation to supporting foster carers. It included increasing the foster care allowance by 21% in 2024, the introduction of the initial placement payment in 2025 and the announcement by the Department of Social Protection that foster carers are now eligible for the back-to-school footwear and clothing allowance, also in June 2025.
I welcome that engagement between officials in the Minister's Department and the Department of Social Protection will take place. It is important that we get the State pension put in place for foster carers as quickly as possible. It is wholly unacceptable for any foster carer in this State, many of whom have provided decades of support to provide a loving and caring home to some of the most vulnerable children in the State, to be left at 66 without a State pension or relying on the means-tested State pension. That is not acceptable. It is also important to make the point that this would be a huge amount of money.
Money is always a factor because I know it will have to be within the budget or a coming budget, and I hope it will be. Many foster carers will have paid some PRSI contributions. In fact, I would imagine the vast majority will have, so this will be about topping them up to make sure they can access the contributory State pension in full, as they should be and as they are more than deserving of. Time is of the essence and this needs to be delivered as quickly and as early in this term of Government as possible.
There is a commitment in the programme for Government. What is really helpful to us as well is the public consultation we are having. It is a great framework for us to engage with the Department of Social Protection regarding this issue because it is an issue that is consistently raised by foster carers themselves. We need to do all we can to secure the foster carers who are involved in providing care to children but also to attract more into this space. I know it is one of one of the key issues, if not the key issue, for foster carers but I also have to point to other changes that have been introduced. Foster carers now receive additional funds between €3,796 and €3,900 per year compared with the previous allowance, depending on the age of the child. Foster carers now receive a weekly payment of €400 for children under 12 and €425 for children over 12. A revised mileage payment scheme is in place, while the cumulative weekly travel distance to qualify for these payments has been reduced from 300 km to 250 km. In June 2025, the Department introduced the back-to-school clothing and footwear allowance, while Tusla funding of €152 million will be used to maintain and grow foster care capacity and expand the foster care peer support programme and foster care recruitment teams.
I acknowledge what has been brought forward to improve things for foster carers but none of that will matter if someone is 62, 63 or 64, does not have enough contributions to access the State pension and is approaching 66, as quite a number of foster carers are. Again, it is not acceptable that a foster carer who has provided a loving home to some of our most vulnerable children would get to 66 and not have a State pension. It is wholly unacceptable and it needs to be dealt with quickly. I have repeatedly said the pension solution brought forward for family carers has really worked. It was worked on, achieved and delivered and I welcomed it at the time. That could be done for foster carers because, again, we are looking at people who have some, if not nearly all, of the 520 contributions but there is a gap for a lot of them, as was the case for family carers, so I believe that through using that solution, this can be done a lot more quickly. It needs to be, so I ask that this specific solution be looked at.
The Deputy and I are not in disagreement on this. I have always been very clear that the work and service provided by foster carers is second to none. I have also been very clear that it is the optimal option for children who need security and support. In that respect, my Department is doing all it can to ensure that measures are in. I have already referenced the increases in the allowances and mileage. To be honest, it will never be enough to acknowledge the work that is done. I know this is the key issue for foster carers, so we will continue to engage with the Department of Social Protection. The current consultation is really helpful to us because it will inform alternative care policy. I acknowledge the openness of the Minister for Social Protection to engaging with me and he has discussed the issue with me on a number of occasions. It is in the programme for Government. There are always complexities of which we must be mindful but as as a core objective, I absolutely agree with the points made by the Deputy.
97. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the steps being taken to ensure that disability supports adequately meet the needs of people with disabilities, including access to services and timely assessments, and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3476/26]
It comes as no surprise that I will be raising the north side of Dublin again. Regarding the care and work done for people with disabilities and the elderly in north Dublin, the teams are amazing but St. Joseph's Hospital, St. Francis Hospice, Beaumont and St. Michael's House need supports, particularly for the elderly and people with disabilities. Will the Minister give an update on what the Department is doing to support these great teams and to add to care in the north side? The north side has been neglected for too long.
Like the Deputy, the Government and I recognise the importance of early intervention for children with disabilities and ensuring they receive the right services at the right time. That is the bottom line. I am pleased to say that progress has been made in this regard. Over the past few years, the roadmap for service improvement has provided for a series of actions being progressed to improve access to children's disability network teams, CDNTs. These teams provided support to 44,739 children with complex needs as at the end of December 2025.
The national CDNT waiting list has reduced by 43%. However, I also recognise that there is still more to do. The HSE national service plan has committed to a further 25% reduction in 2026. To this end, the HSE is developing the 2026 to 2027 service improvement plan for disability services for children and young people, further advancing the work begun under the roadmap.
In budget 2026 alone, more than €3.8 billion was allocated for disability services, which represents an overall increase of €1.8 billion since 2020. This is a phenomenal first-time level of investment by Government. The Government has provided funding for additional posts to CDNTs and to shorten waiting lists and waiting times in recent years. This includes further investment in budget 2026 to fund 150 posts for CDNTs. In addition, placements on CDNTs will continue to be expanded alongside the continued expansion in the number of places in higher education to develop the pipeline of future therapists.
While it is important to mention that good progress has been made, it is equally important to acknowledge that there are delays accessing supports and services. I am pleased to say, however, that significant activities are under way, both legislative and operational, to improve access to both assessments and therapies for children who need them. The HSE is developing a single point of access referral model, which will ensure that children are referred to the appropriate healthcare service, whether that is primary care, disability or child and adolescent mental health services, at an early stage. As a result, children will not be put on multiple waiting lists or passed from one service to another.
Targeted amendments to Part 2 of the Disability Act have been developed to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the assessment of need process. This will result in a more streamlined process, which over time will help to reduce waiting times for assessment of need. A total of €20 million was also allocated under budget 2026 to continue the targeted wait list initiative.
Aontaím leis an Aire agus táim an-bhuíoch den airgead atá ar fáil do dhaoine le míchumas. An pointe atá á dhéanamh agam ar son na ndaoine i mBaile Átha Cliath thuaidh is that the families are struggling and I again call for more adequate funding for the facilities in the institutions I mentioned.
I also want to bring the Minister's attention to the case of Seán Horan, a resident in St. Michael's House in Ballymun. I would really welcome the engagement with the Department about it but the system needs to be changed. According to Seán's mother, he entered mainstream school and is in fifth year but is now being removed from St. Michael's House. His is mother abided by all the rules but we are not providing adequate funding for the north side. Seán's mother is worried and he does not know where he is going to go next year. If schools such as St. Michael's House were not classed as junior cycle, it would enable Seán to continue to stay in the school and get support he needs. I would welcome any attention towards the case of Seán Horan.
The Minister mentioned the change in the legislation around assessments of need and the Disability Act. We all know the pressure families are under - not being able to get an assessment, the therapies or the necessary early intervention. While we might all support that idea of a single point of access, it needs to work. Assessments of need waiting lists have skyrocketed. I assume they are anywhere between 22,000 and 25,000 at this point and constitute a continuing breach of the law. I can accept the argument that 29% of children are found not to have a disability and the idea that 35% need autism assessments, but the fear relates to who it is that makes the determination about this.
The assessment officer has the correct clinical background, which is a necessity. We need an update on what is going to happen from the Department of Education and Youth's point of view because teachers' unions, teachers and families also need to know how assessments will work in getting an appropriate school place. We need to ensure that we are not once again looking at a second-rate assessment because that is the worry at the minute.
Ar an gcéad dul síos, tá sé mar aidhm agam féin agus ag an Roinn áiseanna agus seirbhísí a chur chun cinn, agus tá níos mó airgid againn inniu ná mar a bhí riamh chun é sin a dhéanamh.
The primary aim and objective of this Government and this Department is to ensure that we have the funding in place. We have a significant increase in funding this year - greater than we have ever had - to provide the services Deputy Heneghan referenced. I do not know the specifics of the case he referenced here as it is an individual case, but I am happy to take the details from him later and to revert to him. We have €3.8 billion available to us now, which is a €1.8 billion increase since 2020. It will not solve all of the issues; money does not always solve the issues. It is a combination of different things.
I appreciate the points Deputy Ó Murchú raised around the assessment of need. He knows that there work is under way to advance the assessment and to streamline the service to make it more accessible to people. There is also the single point of contact and the HSE's autism protocol. A total of 45% of all cases in the first nine months of last year had an autism diagnosis. This separate pathway under the HSE will be helpful as well.
Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire. Táim fíorbhuíoch as an airgead sin.
My predecessor Finian McGrath, a former Minister of State with responsibility for disability issues, would also be very proud and I spoke to him again this morning. One of my staff in the Oireachtas has a disability. I have raised this issue in this House previously. We, as policymakers, should have people with disabilities as close to us as possible, but we cannot avail of the wage subsidy scheme. My parliamentary assistant is working as hard as he can but he needs additional support. If we can encourage the Government to bring the wage subsidy scheme into the Oireachtas, we would have people with disabilities closer to people making the policies about their lives. I have raised it with the Minister, Deputy Calleary, as well. He is looking into it and I would love some pressure from the Minister, Deputy Foley, as well.
Táim fíorbhuíoch as an airgead sin. Táim ag iarraidh St. Michael's House, St. Joseph's Hospital, St. Francis Hospice and Beaumont Hospital i mBaile Átha Cliath Thuaidh a lua arís. These institutions and their hard-working men and women need more financial support. I welcome the money the Minister has, but I would love that money to go towards these northside institutions. The staff are hard-working and they can deliver the supports that are needed on the ground. I thank the Minister for saying that she will investigate Seán Horan's case as his mother feels that she was penalised for trying mainstream education. The only way the application was set up was for failure because the State did not provide additional space for the school.
Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta. Aontaím leis ó thaobh an sárobair a rinne Finian McGrath le linn a thréimhse anseo mar Aire Stáit agus an méid atá fós ar siúl aige chun na ceisteanna seo a fhreagairt.
In relation to the issues the Deputy raised regarding St. Michael's House and so many others, I want to recognise the sterling work of all the institutions the Deputy mentioned. I have met with representatives of many of them. I had a meeting last year with a group representing all of the organisations regarding funding issues that they faced. It was for that reason that we really pushed ourselves to move forward in terms of a budget that would significantly support all of these different organisations that are doing great work on the ground. People with disabilities being at the centre, in terms of raising issues and the implementation of policies, is the entirety of the national human rights strategy for disabled people. There is the implementation group that sits on different committees and the delivery committee is chaired by An Taoiseach, Deputy Micheál Martin.
100. Deputy John Clendennen asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for an update on staffing levels and vacancy rates across the children’s disability network teams; how these are affecting service access for children; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13292/26]
My question this morning is about referrals to children’s disability network teams, CDNTs. Will the Minister of State provide updates on staffing levels and vacancy rates across teams and how they are affecting services access for children?
I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. The Government and I, like the Deputy, are committed to early intervention for children with disabilities, to ensure they can access the appropriate supports at the earliest possible stage. Those services are delivered through our children’s disability network teams for children with complex needs.
Recruitment and retention of health and social care professionals is a really big challenge, to be quite frank, and it is a challenge faced by the CDNTs across the country. I am pleased that progress is being made on the recruitment of staff to the teams and the HSE has reported a 28% increase in staffing levels nationwide from October 2023 to October 2025. This equates to an additional 448 whole-time equivalents, which includes 321 health and social care professionals. The overall CDNT vacancy rate has reduced from 29% in 2023 to 18% in 2025. That is a reduction of 11 percentage points nationally, but it is still a challenge and, as a result of that, there are still delays in accessing interventions for children with disabilities. However, it is important to thank our teams and recruiters for the progress that is being made.
Since the roadmap was approved by the Government in July 2023, the national CDNT waiting list has reduced by 43% as at the end of December. Despite staffing challenges, CDNTs provided supports to 44,739 children with complex needs as of the end of December last year. I thank all of our people who are working so hard on those teams. The HSE is currently developing a service improvement plan for disability service for children and young people, which will build on improvement works started under the roadmap with a key focus on recruitment and retention.
To maintain this progress, the HSE is driving intensive domestic and international recruitment efforts and will undertake a variety of workforce initiatives to support sustained growth of CDNTs and the wider disability sector this year
I congratulate the Minister of State on her new Ministry and I wish her the best of luck with it. I agree with her on the need for early intervention. At the end of the day, we need results. Children and their families cannot wait and critical windows of intervention can be missed, which ends up with complex cases becoming more complex.
My concern relates to with families, who have seen a child diagnosed and put on a list. They are waiting for a CDNT and they are not getting that support. The longer that goes on, the larger this problem is becoming. I appreciate that additional resources are being applied and delays are being addressed, but I would like to see a level of accountability and efficiency in how these services are being improved and expanded with the additional resources that are being applied. How accessible are these services and these teams to these families? How can we improve it further?
I am inundated with families contacting me who are having a real difficulty accessing the supports, services and therapies that their children need from CDNTs. The HSE data from last month showed a number of vacancies across the CDNT network in Galway. At that time, just one CDNT out of 15 in the broader west and north-west region was fully staffed. The result of that is that children are facing extreme waits to access the services they need. It is causing untold stress to families as well. One particular family in County Galway, who I know has been writing to the Minister of the State, is completely at their wit's end. Despite repeated requests, they cannot get individual speech and language therapy for their son who is non-verbal and autistic. It is heartbreaking for them as parents to see their child not getting the supports that they need and they are not the only ones.
Will the Minister of State explain this to that family? Will she also outline what she is going to do to ensure that our CDNTs are fully staffed and fully functional going forward?
In terms of staffing, this year's budget has allocated €8 million, which will provide for 150 new staff across our CDNTs. We will prioritise the placement of those new staff on the teams that have the highest vacancy rates. That is to make sure that we are providing more therapies to children who need them and who are waiting longer on lists. It is also to make sure that we are supporting the staff who are working with those CDNTs, which we need to do.
In regard to Deputy Clendennen and his constituents who have gotten assessments and then gone to their CDNTs, to be really clear, families do not need an assessment to go to their CDNT. They just need to be referred. Families can self-refer or they can get a referral through their school, public health nurse or whatever it may be. It is really important that people are referred as early as possible.
In Deputy Clendennen's own area, I know there are there CDNTs in Laois-Offaly. At the end of last year, there were 2,077 children who were open caseloads on the CDNTs. That means they have been in contact with CDNTs and there are 89 children on the waiting list.
I thank the Minister of State for that update. Where they are being assessed and availing of a service within the CDNT, generally the feedback is positive but where they are not, they are ending up in a private system and having to pay. Alternatively, they are ending up in the primary care system. Where there is complexity of need, more often than not the facilities and services they need with regard to the specialities may not be available through primary care. That ends up putting additional burden on the primary care setting.
I appreciate the additional resources. It is an area we are going to have to continue to be focused on. We need to try and meet the needs of individuals who are waiting far too long and get to a position in the whole area of service with CDNTs that is proactive in this space and not reactive. I appreciate the update this morning.
There are 45,000 children receiving support and therapies through our CDNTs nationally and that is really positive. We are embarking on a recruitment campaign to make sure we are bolstering our teams. Part of that will be international and national recruitment but it will also be making sure, for example, that we are expanding training places, which happened in June of last year. There will be up to 461 additional student places by the end of 2028 and the majority of those have commenced. New roles and training pathways are being developed to expand the skills mix and the pipeline of people we can hire. We have student bursaries and trainee programmes. We found them really successful in regard to people coming to do their student placements with CDNTs and, on graduation, being offered roles on those teams. We want to see more of that, and I thank all of our students who have taken up roles.
101. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the measures being taken to address issues with employer costs of auto-enrolment for section 56 organisation employees; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13075/26]
Deputy Aindrias Moynihan is taking Question No. 101.
Organisations funded by Tusla under section 56 of the Child and Family Agency Act are delivering a huge range of vital services, such as youth services, in communities around the country. Cloyne Diocesan Youth Services, CDYS, is a typical example in my own community. Can the Minister outline the efforts being made to address the costs associated with auto-enrolment for these organisations?
I appreciate the Deputy raising this important question. I deeply appreciate the work performed by section 56 organisations and I would like to thank their staff and volunteers for the commitment and support they are giving in improving people’s lives.
The Department welcomes the auto-enrolment retirement savings scheme launched in January 2026. The auto-enrolment system provides that all employees earning in excess of €20,000 and aged between 23 and 60 will be enrolled onto a new pension system and will not have to rely on the State pension alone on retirement. As such, it is of considerable benefit to many employees in section 56 organisations.
The auto-enrolment retirement savings authority will have responsibility for employer compliance, with Revenue providing support by supplying payroll data for identification and enrolment purposes. All employers are required to comply with the legislation underpinning MyFutureFund, regardless of their status or funding arrangements. This requirement applies equally to employers, including where employees are on short-term contracts or working multiple part-time jobs. MyFutureFund will be central to helping people increase their financial security in their retirement years.
Agencies, organisations and charities that will be covered by the new auto-enrolment scheme are generally funded under section 56 of the Child and Family Agency Act 2013. These organisations receive a portion of their funding from Tusla to deliver services and generally have other income streams. Funding is provided to these organisations by Tusla through the grant process and the level of service provided is generally covered within the terms of a service level agreement.
These organisations are independent entities and, as such, employment contracts and obligations - for example, auto-enrolment, pay, pensions and all of that - are matters between the employer and their employees. As these staff are not public sector employees, responsibility for meeting obligations under the new auto-enrolment scheme rests entirely with their respective employers.
These section 56 organisations, the likes of CDYS, are providing vital services such as social care services in the community, family support through the family resource centre and, in my own community, youth services and much more. While Tusla contracts them, as the Minister said, they are private organisations and their employees are not employed by Tusla. They are not-for-profit organisations delivering services in our community. While the aim of introducing the auto-enrolment is to fill that gap between people who do and do not have pensions, which is very welcome, it is an additional cost on these not-for-profit organisations.
We need to review the situation here and I would ask that additional funding be made available to support those section 56 organisations. They are voluntary organisations that are not for profit and are delivering vital services in our communities.
I want to second and indeed third what the Deputy had to say there about these organisations. They are really important organisations doing sterling work right across our communities, north, south, east and west. The work they do, and the breadth of it, is quite phenomenal. They are very much rooted in community and service to the community. I do not for one minute dispute that but I have to be clear on the funding mechanism. Tusla provides funding to many of these organisations, some of which the Deputy has referenced. In many respects, Tusla is providing part of their funding. They are funded through other means as well. Essentially, the issue here is that all of these organisations the Deputy referenced are independent entities. Tusla is not the employer. The relationship is between the organisation and the employee, that is, as employer and employee. Tusla is not in that space and it is important that we have clarity around that.
I am conscious that pay increases were agreed with section 56 workers in the past year and funding increases were agreed for the organisation to support an increase in pay. Has the Minister considered introducing additional funding to the organisations as was previously done to support the organisations' additional employee costs, and will there be assistance for these important services that find themselves in difficulty due to the increased costs of employment? They are providing vital services, including youth services and a broad range of services in the community. While they are not direct employees of Tusla, Tusla does fund and contract them and it provides funding for employment. It is not totally removed from the situation and is a vital cog in it. It needs to re-examine the possibility of supporting these organisations, as they are coming under pressure from the increased cost of auto-enrolment.
I want to be clear. I do not for one minute disagree with the points the Deputy made about the valuable work of these organisations. They are an integral service to communities and I understand the importance of that. I have to be clear: in the delivery of that work they are funded by Tusla. They are not employed by Tusla. There is a separate relationship in existence there between the employer and the employee, or whatever type of contract is in existence there. These organisations are entirely independent entities responsible for the care of their own staff or whoever is delivering on their behalf. It is important that we recognise that.
There are obligations in terms of auto-enrolment. It is very important. We are all agreed here on the importance of the auto-enrolment system but that must be catered for in the context of an employer-employee relationship. Tusla is not the employer. In regard to the broader funding being provided by Tusla, there has been a significant increase in funding by my Department to Tusla to increase the provision of services which, again, supports these organisations. That is the type of relationship that exists.
102. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children on the waiting list for an assessment of need in counties Cavan and Monaghan, by county; and the number waiting more than three, six and 12 months. [13202/26]
My question is in respect of the unacceptable number of children who are currently waiting for an assessment of need in counties Monaghan and Cavan in my constituency. I ask the Minister for an update on the number of children who have been waiting more than three, six and 12 months.
The delivery of an effective, efficient assessment of need system is a priority for the Government, which is why we are bringing in reforms in this area. There has been intensive work by the Department and the HSE to address delays in the provision of assessments of need to children and their families. Children do not require an assessment of need to access health services, including primary care, children’s disability network teams or mental health services. It is important that people are aware of this. However, demand for assessments of need has increased significantly in recent years, reflecting both the increase in population and families exploring all options to access services for their child.
The number of applications for assessments of need increased from 4,700 in 2020 to over 13,000 in 2025. Unfortunately, this demand is outpacing the capacity of the system to respond. As a result, HSE data shows that the number of applications over the completion date rose to over 20,200 nationally by the end of the year. This is unacceptable, which we acknowledge, and we will address it.
For Cavan-Monaghan LHO, in the Deputy’s constituency, the numbers he requested are as follows: 520 applications in total were not completed within the statutory timeframe of six months, 31 of which were overdue for less than one month, and 36 of which were overdue for between one and three months. The remainder, 453, were overdue for three months or more.
These numbers are stark. Every one of them represents a child or young person. I want to see this situation change so that families do not have to wait so long for their assessment of need applications to be processed. That change is happening. We have seen a notable increase in the number of completed AONs nationally over the past two years, but there is a lot more work to be done. That is why, in December 2025, the Government announced a series of improvements to the assessment of need process, including new legislation, which will be coming through pre-legislative scrutiny at the Joint Committee on Disability Matters.
The Minister of State started her response by saying this is a priority for the Government. I would hate to see it if it were not a priority for the Government. Some 550 children have been waiting over six months for an assessment of need in the two small counties, population-wise, of Cavan and Monaghan. That is 550 times that the members of Government have broken the law. They are obliged under the Disability Act 2005 to ensure that children receive an assessment of need within six months. Imagine that. We have a Minister of State saying they have broken the law 550 times in just one constituency, but they are going to do something about it at some point in the future, including changing the law so they cover themselves and so they are not actually in breach of the law. How many children last year in counties Cavan and Monaghan actually received their assessment of need within six months, the legal time limit?
Will the Minister of State consider establishing a cross-Border assessment of need scheme, modelled on existing cross-Border dental and surgical treatment pathways, to ensure that children can access timely assessments outside the State when domestic waiting lists are excessive?
I want to be absolutely clear, and to reassure parents in particular, that proposed legislative changes will not in any way remove any right for parents to apply for an assessment of need for their child, and will not alter the six-month timeline in the Act. That is important to say, and I do not want parents to be misled on that.
The changes include changes to Part 2 of the Disability Act, which provides for assessments of need. These legislative changes include ensuring the assessment process focuses on a child’s needs, so that more intensive clinical assessments are only used where required. They will also ensure the development of statutory guidelines to better support HSE assessment officers to do standard assessments in a standardised way, so that no matter where people are in the country, they get the same clinical approach.
With regard to the cross-Border scheme, that is definitely worth exploring. At the moment, we want to make sure that we are delivering more assessments of need. To that end, we have prioritised a waitlist initiative. We have set aside €20 million to provide for 6,000 assessments of need to be completed by private providers.
Regardless of what the Minister of State says changes to legislation will do, it will be of no comfort whatsoever to those people who are watching the Government break the law as it currently is. I asked her a specific question in respect of Cavan and Monaghan. How many children last year actually received an assessment of need within the legal time limit of six months? I will ask that question again.
We know that at the heart of this are children - children with disabilities who need access to therapies. Right now, they are waiting too long for access to therapies and too long for assessments of need. That is wrong. That is why, just in December, we outlined reforms. Those reforms include statutory guidelines, which will streamline and standardise the process. That will include decisions being communicated to parents.
How many last year?
There will be a new pathways option for children who are potentially autistic. They will be set up by in-reach teams, 11 of which will be created across the country.
I thank the Minister for State for that. How many children last year in Cavan and Monaghan actually got their assessment of need within six months?
Order, please.
I will revert to the Deputy with that exact number. I have the exact number that he requested in his question, which I read out, but I will get the number for last year too and give it to the Deputy. That is no problem.
We are also hiring more people for the CDNT teams. We have a new single point of access that ensures no child is on the wrong waiting list, and there is no such thing as a wrong door from a HSE perspective. In addition, we are supplementing our workforce by outsourcing a number of AONs as well.
103. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the proposals her Department has to deal with the fact that Tusla has advised that 300 social workers,100 social care workers and 500 foster carers are needed now to cope with demand; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13212/26]
Information was provided to us at the committee on children that Tusla is short of 300 social workers and 100 social care workers, and needs another 500 foster carers. In fairness, Deputy Kerrane spoke about the need to follow up on the State pension and other particular issues that will make it more attractive. We look after those who are doing absolutely necessary work. We all know the complexity. We know the issues that have been in front of this House in relation to Tusla. It is about ensuring it is fit for purpose.
I appreciate that the Deputy is raising a significant issue about the important work that is carried out every day by social workers, social care workers and foster carers.
With the prevailing high rates of employment and the range of opportunities across the economy, there is a great deal of competition for and challenge in attracting qualified and expert staff to carry out social work in the health, education and justice sectors, as well as in the area of child welfare and protection. The challenges in child welfare and protection are not unique and they apply right across sectors like health, education and justice. Notwithstanding that, we have to address this. The Department has supported the development of various schemes and programmes in Tusla to improve its recruitment and retention of social workers and social care workers. New programmes are expected to increase the number of annual social work graduates by 20%. That is a significant uplift, year on year, in the number of those who graduate specifically from social work and social care programmes.
The initiatives being taken by Tusla include: the introduction of a four-year tertiary degree, co-designed and co-delivered by Cork Education and Training Board and University College Cork; and the establishment of a two-year apprenticeship programme leading to a master’s or postgraduate diploma in social work, developed by an industry-led consortium. Tusla accepted 36 apprentices under the scheme in 2024 and took on a further 77 apprentices in 2025, with further expansion in 2026. I would like to see that move closer to 100 in 2026, if at all possible, but we will see how it goes.
The Department funds and supports Tusla’s recruitment and retention of social care workers through various Tusla initiatives and programmes. This includes a number of measures. Tusla offers incentives to existing staff to undertake training to become social care workers. Tusla offers a relocation and visa sponsorship package for social care staff from the Philippines and South Africa to take up contracts within Tusla special care. Tusla is in the process of developing a new internal training school to support social care candidates to develop the skills necessary to work in Tusla’s residential and special care centres.
Tusla is also in the process of developing a new internal training school to support social care candidates to develop the skills necessary to work in Tusla's residential and special care centres.
We all welcome initiatives in relation to workforce planning, although the easy refrain is that this should have happened earlier. The reason I am bringing this up with the Minister is the fact that Gerry Hone from Tusla spoke about unfilled positions. At the moment, there are 1,728 social workers. If we take in agency staff, the number is 1,754 but that is 300 short in terms of being able to deliver the work they do, which is phenomenal. As I understand it, there are 1,422 social care workers in the system but again, Tusla says that is 100 short of requirements. Foster carers do absolutely unreal work and we need to support them but if we are 500 people short, then we do not have the capacity in relation to delivering from a care point of view. We know the work Tusla is meant to do, involving everything from early intervention, supports for families and referrals to other organisations right through to looking after the most vulnerable who need to be in the State's care. We need a plan and I seek details, in a written response if necessary, on how this is going to be done and the numbers being included in the plan.
In terms of foster care, we have had a very good discussion on the role and importance of foster carers and the contribution they make in terms of child welfare. I can inform the Deputy that 198 new foster carers came on stream in 2025, a 9% increase. Notwithstanding that, I want to do more in this space. I also recognise the demand for foster carers is increasing. We have a number of new children coming into the system every single year and it is ever increasing. However, it is positive to be able to say that 198 new people came on board, a 9% increase over the same period in 2024. That is a positive.
I absolutely hear what the Deputy is saying in terms of the need for an increased number of social workers and social care workers. It is important we have the mechanisms that will allow for that. It is projected that there will be a 20% increase year on year in terms of these schemes. I particularly want to congratulate the further and higher education sector for initiatives in this area. The link between Cork ETB and UCC, for example, is producing a significant number of social workers for us.
We all welcome those initiatives, which are absolutely necessary, but we must make sure we fill the gaps. We must ensure the services Tusla is meant to provide are not put under more pressure. I am aware Tusla has a new resource allocation model and is talking of new models of care in relation to the more complex cases that are arising. I ask the Minister to come back to me in writing on the detailed plan in relation to targets, not only for recruitment but for actual employment. We must ensure we have a sufficient number of social workers and social care workers, particularly in light of the figures provided by Tusla itself.
We are all aware of the more complex cases. I refer here to Oisín Reddin, Kyran Durnin, Vadym Davydenko and Daniel Aruebose, to some of the cases referred to by the Child Law Project and the case of the ten year old who was heinously attacked. We need to be able to provide supports in those circumstances and we need to see that follow through I have spoken about before in terms of the recommendations. Legislative changes are also necessary in the context of the national review panel. We need to make sure all of that work is done.
We are all very clear about the importance of having the appropriate staff and of having a sufficiency of staff in place to support children. I can share with the Deputy examples of cases that are so complex they require a 2:1 staffing level. That means 14 staff being made available for the care of one child. That is the right and proper thing to do and that is what I would want to have in place. I am just making the point that such are the complexities that, at times, a huge number of staff have to be dedicated - and rightly so - to one child. In some instances, 14 staff for one child is the required staffing level. Notwithstanding that, the Deputy speaks of a plan and I am very happy to send on a formal reply in terms of all of the different levers that we are pulling. I am a particular fan of the apprenticeship model, for example, because it means those who go through the apprenticeship system stay within the Tusla family, as it were. That proves significant.
104. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of special care beds that are open currently; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13218/26]
I ask the Minister to provide details on the number of special care beds currently open. Across the three special care units there is capacity for 26 beds. I do not know if all 26 beds have ever been open but would like to know how many are open today.
I thank the Deputy for her question. While the operation of special care and the provision of special care beds is the statutory responsibility of Tusla, the Department is actively engaging with Tusla in relation to the challenges impacting special care. There are four young people currently subject to a special care order who are awaiting placement in a special care unit. I am advised by Tusla that as of 16 February 2026 there are 15 young people in special care, with additional staffing of 2:1 required for at least one young person due to complex presentation. This means an additional seven staff, or 14 in total, are required to meet the needs of that one child. This is the equivalent of an additional special care bed.
Tusla has indicated that difficulties in the recruitment and retention of staff are the primary limiting factor in capacity in opening special care beds. Officials from the Department continue to work with Tusla to support it in addressing the staffing shortages in special care provision. A new grade and pay scale for special care was sanctioned in 2024 in an effort to increase staff numbers and has been advertised since January 2025. This new Tusla special care worker grade offers approximately 20% higher pay at the top of scale compared to the social care worker grade.
The Department has also provided a substantial budget increase for Tusla in 2026, rising by 14% to €1.37 billion. This represents the fourth consecutive year in which Tusla’s budget has exceeded €1 billion. In addition, €26 million has been allocated for special care in budget 2026. This represents an increase of over €6 million on budget 2025. This investment will increase capacity and enhance provision, including funding for the new special care staff grade, staff well-being initiatives and additional therapeutic supports.
Tusla has been allocated €188 million in capital funding for 2026 to 2030. Reflecting the priorities in the national development plan, €17 million is the indicative allocation for special care in Tusla’s capital plan for 2026 to 2030. This will support Tusla in upgrading, renovating or purchasing special care and step-down units. In this context, the expansion of dedicated step-down provision from special care is progressing.
It is really alarming to hear that four children in the State need a special care bed but there is not one there for them. I appreciate, understand and welcome the change to the payscale made in 2024 but we need to look at that again to see whether it is enough in the context of recruitment and retention of staff. I have raised with the Minister previously the report of the external review group on special care which raises the same issues around staffing and capacity. That report, published in April 2025, identified that since 2021 a total of 168 staff had been hired but 134 had left. There is capacity for 26 beds across the three special care units but I gather from what the Minister is saying that we only have staff for 15 of those 26 beds. We have four extremely vulnerable children who have no bed, so we need to look at the pay scale again. We need to look at that external report again and at the recommendations within it.
Deputy Daly has a related question.
My question similarly relates to vulnerable children. Following the Halpin report into CAMHS in north Kerry which showed deficiencies in care and a departure from standard operating practice, can the Minister confirm that the compensation scheme will be widened to include people who have had an apology already from the HSE and that the review will be widened to a much broader category of children who have been dealt with in the north Kerry area?
The Deputy attended the briefing with me provided by the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, on the north Kerry CAMHS report. He will appreciate that it is not in my remit; it is within the remit of Deputy Butler. It is my understanding that she will make further announcements as regards the extension of the look-back and issues around compensation. The Deputy will respect that it is appropriate that she as the line Minister of State does that.
On the points raised by Deputy Kerrane, there are so many complexities in this instance. As I previously referenced with Deputy Ó Murchú, there is one instance where 14 staff are required for the care of one child. It is right that we provide those 14 staff but in normal instances that is two beds being required, such are the complexities. There have been significant improvements, such as the new pay grade with a 20% increase. It has yielded 27 additional people being recruited. Significant recruitment is taking place abroad in South Africa and the Philippines which is also garnering success. The work continues.
I would like to see a timeline for the implementation of each of the recommendations of the external review group. Fifteen special care beds are open but we should have 26. There are four extremely vulnerable children who have been advised, told and directed to special care but it is not available for them. The report is especially damning. It describes "severe challenges" and talks of a "crisis". The report makes it clear that it looks at "the immediate operational issues", or what needs to be dealt with immediately. It also goes on to discuss the children in dire need of intervention - our most vulnerable children - for whom there is no bed for special care. The recommendations of the review group need to be looked at. It is always important to say that this is not just a matter for Tusla. There are other agencies that need to get around the table on these issues. We need to look at what we can do in relation to special care because what is going on at the moment with beds not being open is just not acceptable.
I want to be clear, in terms of the financial resources being made available, that €26 million has been provided for special care, with an increase of €6 million specifically in terms of the provision of beds. The financial resources are in place for staffing. There is an absolute challenge in staffing which is not unique to us. It has already been referenced that it is in other disciplines as well. There are new programmes. I outlined to the previous Deputy the types of the increases in places, in-house training for staff so they can step up into special care roles, and recruitment from abroad. There is a whole suite of efforts being made. It is an absolute priority. There is an absolute commitment that all of those recommendations for any Department or agency will be addressed and implemented in full.
