Written Answers Nos. 108-127
108. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality her Department's efforts to improve accessibility in rural towns and villages for people with disabilities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12186/26]
View answerEnsuring that towns and villages are fully accessible is a key commitment for Government. This will require improvements in the accessibility of the built environment, public infrastructure and amenities, as well as public and private modes of transport; the achievement of which involves several Government Departments, public agencies and local authorities, going well beyond the remit of any single Department or Government Minister.
The development of the whole-of-government approach set out in the National Human Rights Strategy for Disabled People 2025-2030 launched in September 2025 will deliver a real step-change in disability policy across several areas, including advancing improvements in accessibility and Universal Design.
The Strategy’s focus is on the implementation of actions across five key thematic pillars that collectively capture the full range of issues impacting on the lives of disabled people:
• Inclusive Learning and Education
• Employment
• Independent Living and Active Participation in Society
• Wellbeing and Health
• Transport and Mobility
The Strategy's overarching cross-government framework recognises that improving the accessibility of towns and villages nationwide will require all lead Departments and public bodies to collaborate together to ensure that disabled people can be active participants in accessible and inclusive communities.
My Department and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage are co-leading on Pillar Three – Independent Living and Active Participation in Society. A core commitment of Pillar Three is to ensure that disabled people will have increased supports to live as independently as possible and to enjoy full participation in their local communities. This Pillar includes actions designed to create more accessible services and environments, such as cultural activities and sporting events, as well as actions that will promote the full participation of disabled people within several dimensions of community life nationwide, including in our towns and villages.
The Department of Transport are leading on the delivery of actions and commitments under Pillar Five – Transport and Mobility. Focussing on improving the accessibility of public and private transport options for disabled people is a core feature of this Pillar, ensuring that our towns and villages are accessible for everyone. Pillar Five commits to increased funding for the Public Transport Accessibility Retrofit Programme, in line with the National Development Plan and to expanding the availability of accessible public transport options for both urban and rural areas.
109. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for an update on the timeline and process for her Department's commitment to ratifying the second optional protocol of the UNCRC; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13302/26]
View answerThe Government is committed to ratification of the Second Optional Protocol to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and work is ongoing to ratify the Protocol as soon as possible.
As the deputy is aware the Protocol provides that states parties shall prohibit the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography. It also obliges these states to participate in the extradition of individuals in relation to these crimes. Importantly, under article 8 of the Protocol, it also protects the rights and interests of child victims including through allowing their views and concerns to be presented and considered; supporting them through the legal process; protecting their privacy; and providing for their safety.
In Irish treaty practice, the State must be in a position to meet all of the obligations it assumes under the terms of an international agreement from the moment it enters into force. Often it will not be possible for the State to meet these obligations without first taking steps required by domestic law, or otherwise, enabling it to do so. As work towards ratification of the protocol continues, the State is obliged to ensure that all legislative provisions are in place for it to meet these obligations.
I am pleased to say that the Department has recently received confirmation from the Attorney General’s Office that the suite of measures taken to ensure that Ireland is in a position to meet its obligations under the Protocol are sufficient to overcome barriers to ratification which had been previously identified.
The Department will now work with Departments of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration and of Foreign Affairs and Trade to prepare the necessary measures required on ratification.
These include two technical orders in relation to extradition and mutual legal assistance between State Parties. These are needed to meet the requirements under the Protocol. These orders fall to be made under existing primary legislation and I do not currently anticipate that development and drafting of these orders will lead to any significant delay.
Once this work is complete, Government approval will be sought to ratify the Protocol.
110. Deputy James O'Connor asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the efforts her Department is making to address the shortage of childcare places in Cork east. [13389/26]
View answerImproving access to quality and affordable Early Learning and Care and School Age Childcare is a key priority of Government.
Early learning and childcare capacity is increasing. Data from the Annual Early Years Sector Profile 2024/25 shows that the estimated number of enrolments increased by approximately 25% from the 2021/22 programme year. However, it appears that demand for early learning and childcare remains higher than available supply in certain parts of the country, particularly for younger children.
The Department continues to support the ongoing development and resourcing of Core Funding which has given rise to a significant expansion of places since the scheme was first introduced. Core Funding, which is in its fourth programme year, funds services based on the number of places available.
This provides stability to services, and reduces the risk associated with opening a new service or expanding an already existing service.
The total allocation for Core Funding in 2026/2027 programme year will increase to over €436 million, an additional €44 million on the current full year allocation.
This increased investment will allow increases in the natural growth of the sector driven both by new services joining the sector and existing services offering more places and/or longer hours to families.
The Government is also supporting the expansion of capacity through capital funding. The Building Blocks Extension Grant Scheme is designed to increase capacity in the 1–3-year-old, pre–Early Childhood Care and Education, age range for full day care. Core Funding Partner Services could apply for capital funding to physically extend their premises or to construct or purchase new premises. The Scheme will deliver up to 1,500 full-day care places for 1- to 3-year-olds.
I recently announced €135 million of capital investment over the coming five years for State-led services to provide high-quality, accessible early learning and childcare. The process will begin in 2026 with investment in buildings in what will be a ground-breaking initiative.
Up to eight buildings will be selected for investment this year. The State-led initiative will provide thousands of places up to 2030.
The level of investment will ramp up over the lifetime of the Government. The initial approach is on purchasing and refurbishment of buildings given that this is a faster route to delivery in the short term. However, the option of building new facilities will also be considered over subsequent years.
The Department is assessing sites and buildings which align with the goals of the programme and, where required, will seek expressions of interest from not for profit operators to deliver these State-led services.
111. Deputy Paula Butterly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will consider establishing a cross-Border assessment-of-needs scheme, similar to the existing cross-Border dental and surgical treatment schemes, to allow patients particularly children to access timely assessments outside the State; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3419/26]
View answerThe delays faced by families in accessing Assessments of Need are unacceptable. Intensive work is underway by the Department and the HSE to address these and improve the system.
I must emphasise that children do not require an Assessment of Need to access health services, including Primary Care, Children’s Disability Network Teams or mental health services.
However, demand for Assessments of Need has increased significantly in recent years. This reflects both the increase in population and families exploring all options to access services for their child. This has led to a growing backlog of applications and long waits for children and their families.
The Assessment of Need process is set out in the Disability Act 2005 and the HSE is the body responsible for the administration of the process. HSE Assessment Officers are responsible for the production of assessment of need reports. As part of the process, they may request a clinical assessment to inform their report.
These clinical assessments can be requested from HSE services such as Primary Care or Children’s Disability Network Teams or can be sourced from private providers. The HSE must ensure that any such providers are appropriately qualified, registered with professional bodies, where appropriate, and garda vetted.
The HSE has advised that it sought legal advice on the applicability of the Cross Border Directive Scheme and the Northern Ireland Planned Healthcare Scheme for clinical assessments under Assessment of Need.
The legal advice received by the HSE is that clinical assessment for an AON under Section 8(2) of the Disability Act must be arranged by the HSE Assessment Officer. As such, the HSE Cross Border Directive scheme and the Northern Ireland Planned Healthcare Scheme are not appropriate for commissioning Assessments of Need.
Whilst recognising the challenges, I have requested that officials engage with the HSE to identify whether further opportunities exist to leverage cross border supports.
It is important to recognise that progress is being made over 5,900 completed AON reports in 2025, 43% more than 2024.
This improvement has been achieved by several measures, including the AON Targeted Waitlist Initiative, which resulted in over 7,700 clinical assessments sourced from approved private providers since June 2024.
The initiative will continue this year with €20 million provided for the delivery of some 6,000 clinical assessments, with a specific focus on autism assessments.
In December 2025, Government announced a series of changes to the AON process intended to improve access to both assessments and therapies for children who need them. These include targeted amendments to Part 2 of the Disability Act 2005, which provides for Assessments of Need.
I want to reassure families that the proposed legislative changes will not remove any rights for parents to apply for an Assessment of Need for their child. They also will not alter the statutory six-month timeline set out in the Disability Act.
The General Scheme of the Disability (Amendment) Bill has been published on the Department’s website. An FAQ document has also been published, providing information on Assessment of Need and the proposed changes for parents and any other interested stakeholders.
112. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the formal policy or operational frameworks which currently exist, or are planned, to align the needs-based assessment model used by children’s disability network teams with the diagnosis-based access criteria used by the education system; whether her Department has assessed, or plans to assess, the impact of this misalignment on access to educational supports for children with identified needs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13283/26]
View answerThe Government fully acknowledges the significant efforts made by families, the HSE, schools and communities in supporting children with disabilities. We remain committed to improving the coordination and delivery of services for children and young people with complex needs, including those with autism.
Children’s disability services operate under the National Programme on Progressing Disability Services for Children and Young People (PDS), introduced in 2009. This programme established the national needs-led model and the network of 93 Children’s Disability Network Teams.
This ensured that supports for children with disabilities are based on their individual functional needs rather than diagnosis, and that services are provided equitably regardless of where children live or attend school.
The National Policy on Access to Services for Children and Young People with Disability and Developmental Delay (2019) provides additional national guidance to ensure consistent access to HSE supports.
In education, special schools support children with the most severe or complex special educational needs, where mainstream placement would not be in the child’s best interests. A child may attend a special school where a professional report identifies a special educational need of such complexity that specialist provision should be considered. Admission criteria for special schools are set by the Department of Education and Youth, supported by the National Council for Special Education.
At present, there is no single formal national framework that fully aligns the needs-based Children’s Disability Network Team model with the diagnosis-based access criteria that operate within the education system. However, operational cooperation takes place on a case-by-case basis. For example, where an educational assessment is required as part of a wider HSE Assessment of Need, the HSE may request the assistance of the National Council for Special Education in identifying the educational needs of the child. This supports an integrated understanding of the child’s needs across both sectors.
To strengthen cross-Government coordination in this area, the Cross-Sectoral Group on Disability Issues for Children and Young People was jointly re-established by the Department of Children, Disability and Equality and the Department of Education and Youth in February 2025. This Group provides strategic leadership across the relevant Departments and agencies, supports policy coherence, and enables the sharing of information and the resolution of system-level challenges.
My Department recognises the concerns raised regarding potential misalignment between the two assessment models but the Government is committed to continuing to support children with disabilities both through the Children’s Disability Network Teams and through the education system.
113. Deputy Keira Keogh asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of respite hours provided to families in Mayo in the past year; the measures her Department is taking to provide additional capacity, in view of the increasing waiting lists for these services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13284/26]
View answerThe development of respite services is a vital support to people with a disability and their families. The HSE and its funded Agencies provide respite care to both children and adults with disabilities in a variety of settings for various lengths of time, depending on the needs of the individual service user and their family or carer, and according to available resources.
Respite is not always centre-based and can be provided in a number of ways including In-Home, Home-to-Home or Family Support. As a vital part of the continuum of services for families, respite potentially helps prevent out-of-home full-time residential placements, preserves the family unit, and supports family stability.
The number of respite sessions delivered in Mayo in 2025 are as follows:
- No. of overnights (with or without day respite) accessed by people with a disability - 7053
- No. of day only respite sessions accessed by people with a disability - 5894
- No. of people with a disability in receipt of respite of receipt services (ID./ Autism & Physical & Sensory Disability) – 473
It is important to note that the HSE does not track respite sessions by the hour. Overnights and day-only respite services are tracked by the session, which may encompass a respite service extending from one hour to more.
Budget 2026 saw €25m allocated to the HSE for new respite developments. In their National Service Plan (NSP) for 2026, the HSE has committed to investing new development funding in the expansion of respite services, ensuring equitable access across all regions and a mix of centre-based, in home, overnight and alternative respite options. The HSE anticipates that in the region of 500 more children and adults with a disability will receive respite sessions both centre based and alternative within their community in 2026 (representing a 7% increase on last year).
The HSE National Service Plan outlines that funding will support the expansion of new and enhanced centre-based respite services, increasing capacity in existing centres to reduce waiting times and improving access for people requiring high levels of support.
Alternative and flexible respite models will be supported, including after-school hubs, weekend day respite and the expansion of community-based programmes such as outreach clubs.
It is anticipated HSE National Guidelines for Home Sharing services will be launched in 2026 and there will be further development of associated governance and monitoring frameworks to ensure quality and safeguarding, supporting the future expansion of home sharing services.
The HSE also undertook an audit of the capacity and provision of respite services across all Health Regions, in Quarter four of 2025, which will assist to inform the future expansion of services and policy development in this area.
Funding has been secured from the National Service Plan for shared care services. This funding will be allocated to provide support for more complex cases. This will, in turn, increase capacity in other respite houses, freeing up space or staff that may be used for others. The allocation of respite beds is based on a number of different requirements. Factors such as complexity of need, staffing ratios, and compatibility with other clients can vary significantly and can impact whether or not a respite centre is used to its full capacity.
The HSE has indicated that there are a number of respite developments planned in Mayo in 2026.
Works have just begun on a capital project which will move a respite house to a more suitable location while also increasing capacity.
Funding has been secured for a complex residential placement which will bring a full respite house back into use.
Funding has also been made available to facilitate a new initiative for outreach respite which involves a 12-week programme that will be run 3 times throughout the year.
114. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will prioritise Irish-medium services in the development of State-led early years facilities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12771/26]
View answer€135 million will be made available between 2026 and 2030 for the State-led Early Learning and Childcare capital programme, providing high-quality, accessible early learning and childcare.
The process will begin in 2026 with investment in buildings in what will be a ground-breaking initiative for the Department of Children, Disability and Equality. Capital funding will be used to acquire and/or fit out the building, depending on requirements. The Department will work with not-for-profit providers to design, open and operate services.
The language of provision in State-led services will depend on the operator and project selected. No final decisions have yet been made on the specific projects. The Department intends to work with not-for-profit operators in the sector in order to operationalise State-led services, with a particular focus on increasing the delivery of full day places for children aged 1 to 3, with provision for these children to continue in the service until they start school.
The Department has begun assessing sites/buildings in order to identify which are best placed to deliver on the goals of the programme. Where required, the Department will begin publicising sites and seeking expressions of interest from operators to carry out fit-out and delivery.
The Department's funding for Early Learning and Care (ELC) and School-Age Childcare (SAC) services is provided on the same basis to both Irish-medium and English-medium services, whether inside or outside Gaeltacht areas.
The Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht announced five-year funding to provide a comprehensive support and development service to naíonraí outside of the Gaeltacht, to be administered by Gaeloideachas. Furthermore, the Department of Children, Disability and Equality has provided funding to Gaeloideachas in 2025 and 2026 to support Irish-medium ELC settings.
Additionally, the Department of Children, Disability and Equality is currently working in collaboration with other relevant Departments and agencies to develop a national plan to further the development of Irish language provision in the ELC and SAC sector.
The development of such a plan is a commitment in the 5-Year Action Plan for the Irish Language. The national plan is expected to support the delivery of two commitments in First 5: the Whole-of-Government Strategy for Babies, Young Children and their Families: “Introduce measures to ensure that children in Gaeltacht areas have access to Irish-medium ELC provision” and “Develop mechanisms to provide Irish-language supports to ELC provision where there are high proportions of children who are learning through the medium of Irish”.
The plan is also expected to support the delivery of commitments in the Programme for Government to: “Support naíonraí and creches to ensure early education access in Gaeltacht communities and beyond” and “Plan the development of State-led facilities in tandem with the school building programme, including Irish-medium naíonraí”.
It is intended that the Plan will be published in the coming months.
115. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for an update on CDNT waiting lists for assessments and therapies in County Meath; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11689/26]
View answerI thank Deputy O’Rourke for his question. This Government and I are committed to reducing waiting lists for assessments and therapies in County Meath and across Ireland.
Progress has been made in this regard. Over the past few years, the Roadmap for Service Improvement, Disability Services for Children and Young People has been the key vehicle for enhancing Children’s Disability Services.
Through this Roadmap, a series of actions have been progressed to improve access to Children’s Disability Network Teams. These teams provided supports to 44,739 children with complex needs as of the end of December 2025.
Since the HSE Roadmap for Service Improvement was approved by Government in July 2023, the National Children’s Disability Network Teams waiting list has reduced by 27%, from 12,920 children awaiting an initial contact with a Children’s Disability Network Team in 2024 to 9,363 children at the end of December 2025.
Waiting lists vary across Meath, with intervention timelines varying based on clinical need. I am informed by the HSE that:
• Waiting-times for team intake in Kells are approximately 12 months followed by between 0 and 6 months for intervention.
• Waiting-times for team intake in Dunshaughlin are approximately 16 months, followed by between 4 and 24 months for intervention.
• Waiting-times for team intake in Navan are approximately 7 months followed by between 1 and 12 months for intervention.
• Waiting times for team intake in Trim are approximately 20 months followed by between 1 and 12 months for intervention.
• Assessment of Need data is not available at county level, but is available by Local Health Office. The number of overdue Assessment of Need reports for Meath Local Health Office at end Q4, 2025 was 1,171.
It is important to emphasise that an “assessment of need” under the Disability Act is not required for a child to access primary care, Children’s Disability Network Teams or Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services.
I am pleased to say that significant activity is underway, both legislative and operational, to improve access to both assessments and therapies.
In Budget 2026 alone, more than €3.8 billion has been allocated for Disability Services, which represents an overall increase since 2020 of €1.8bn.
This includes further investment in Budget 2026 to fund 150 posts for Children’s Disability Network Teams and €20m to continue the Targeted Waitlist Initiative to deliver up to 6,000 clinical assessments under a new framework.
In addition, placements on Children’s Disability Network Teams will continue to be expanded, alongside a continued expansion in the number of places in higher education, to develop the pipeline of future therapists.
The HSE is developing a Single Point of Access referral model, as a result, children will not be put on multiple waiting lists or passed from one service to another.
I will continue to engage with the HSE, the Department, service providers and families to ensure that children with disabilities receive the supports they require in a timely manner.
116. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if a provider withdraws from core funding, if they can remain in other schemes, such as the national childcare scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13074/26]
View answerRegardless of whether a service is participating in Core Funding, the National Childcare Scheme, the Early Childhood Care and Education programme and the Community Childcare Subvention Plus Saver programme remain available to parents for the current programme year.
The ECCE Programme, which provides two years of pre-school without charge, enjoys participation rates of 96%. Over 70% of families on low-income report that they would not be able to send their child to pre-school without this Programme.
The National Childcare Scheme (NCS) complements the ECCE Programme, providing subsidies – both universal and targeted - to reduce the costs to parents for children to participate in early learning and childcare.
The NCS has undergone a number of enhancements in recent years to further improve affordability for parents. These include the extension of the universal subsidy to all children under 15 and two increases to the minimum hourly subsidy, which is now worth a minimum of €96.30 per week for 45 hours. The NCS increases since 2022 are there to benefit all families using registered childcare.
As Core Funding is an optional scheme, service providers have the autonomy and business freedom to withdraw from Core Funding, even though this will result in the loss of the significant financial support it offers them and the substantial benefits and certainty it brings to families.
Core Funding has been designed with maximum participation of providers in mind as reflected in the year-on-year growth of investment in the Scheme (rising from €259 million in year 1 to over €390 million in year 4). This represents an increase of over 50% in Core Funding in three years.
Core Funding operates alongside NCS, ECCE, AIM, Equal Start, and the CCSP Saver Programme and is in addition to income from these funding streams and any income received in parental fees.
The Department has also made changes to improve the sustainability of providers through, for example, targeted measures for small and sessional services, and a fee increase assessment and approval process for services with fees frozen at unsustainably low rates. There are also wider financial supports from the Department for services experiencing financial difficulty.
I encourage all services to avail of these supports as an alternative to withdrawing from Core Funding and removing the benefit of Core Funding to children and their families.
If a Partner Services wishes to withdraw from the Core Funding scheme, they must provide 3 months’ notice to the Scheme Administrator. This must be done by submitting a Service Request on the Early Years Hive outlining the withdrawal date and the reason for the withdrawal.
Core Funding remains open to all registered providers subject to their agreement to the terms and conditions of the Scheme.
Parents experiencing difficulty in relation to their early learning and childcare needs are encouraged to contact their local City/County Childcare Committee for assistance.
117. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for an update on her efforts to extend the NCS for childminding in the childminder's home and childminding in the family home; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13315/26]
View answerAll paid, non-relative childminders who work in their own homes can now register with Tusla and access the National Childcare Scheme.
The National Action Plan for Childminding 2021-2028 set out a pathway for the extension of regulation to childminders. The Childcare Support Act 2018, which provides a statutory basis for the National Childcare Scheme, specifies that only Tusla-registered childminders are eligible to participate in the Scheme. The limitation of public funding schemes to Tusla-registered childcare providers helps to ensure that public funding is provided where there is assurance of the quality of provision.
We are now in a 3-year transition period (to September 2027) during which childminders are being encouraged and supported to register, but registration is not yet mandatory. This phased approach aims to facilitate the largest possible number of childminders to enter the regulated sector, the sphere of quality assurance, and access to Government subsidies, while recognising the time and supports required for childminders to learn about and prepare for registration.
The National Action Plan for Childminding distinguishes childminding which involves care in the childminder’s home from care that takes place in the child’s home, which may be carried out by a nanny, au pair or babysitter. This distinction is also reflected in the legal definition of a childminder set out in the primary legislation.
The employment relationship and the legal and regulatory context are different between childminders who work in the childminder’s home and someone who works in the child’s home (e.g. nannies and au pairs). A childminder working from the childminder’s own home is self-employed, whereas someone caring for a child in the child’s own home is regarded as an employee of the child’s parents. In addition, because they work in the parents’/child’s home rather than their own home, au pairs and nannies cannot be held responsible for the safety or suitability of that home for the purpose of early learning or childcare. Furthermore, the employment of someone in the child’s home may involve a combination of caring with other roles, e.g. cleaning or other domestic duties. This would require a different regulatory and funding approach, which has not yet been scoped.
The Department has committed to undertake a review of the initial implementation of the Childminding-specific Regulations during the transition period. The review will commence in 2026 and will include consultation with childminders and other stakeholders.
118. Deputy James Geoghegan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will provide an update on the programme for Government commitment to extend the national childcare scheme to childminders in the family home; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13322/26]
View answerThe National Action Plan for Childminding 2021-2028 set out a pathway for the extension of regulation to childminders. The Childcare Support Act 2018, which provides a statutory basis for the National Childcare Scheme, specifies that only Tusla-registered childminders are eligible to participate in the Scheme. The limitation of public funding schemes to Tusla-registered childcare providers helps to ensure that public funding is provided where there is assurance of the quality of provision.
As a result of the commencement of the relevant parts of the Child Care (Amendment) Act 2024 and the Childminding Services Regulations, which came into effect on 30 September 2024, childminders are now able to apply to register with Tusla.
The National Action Plan for Childminding distinguishes childminding which involves care in the childminder’s home from care that takes place in the child’s home, which may be carried out by a nanny, au pair or babysitter. This distinction is also reflected in the legal definition of a childminder set out in the primary legislation.
The employment relationship and the legal and regulatory context are different between childminders who work in the childminder’s home and someone who works in the child’s home (e.g. nannies and au pairs). A childminder working from the childminder’s own home is self-employed, whereas someone caring for a child in the child’s own home is regarded as an employee of the child’s parents. In addition, because they work in the parents’/child’s home rather than their own home, au pairs and nannies cannot be held responsible for the safety or suitability of that home for the purpose of early learning or childcare. Furthermore, the employment of someone in the child’s home may involve a combination of caring with other roles, e.g. cleaning or other domestic duties. This would require a different regulatory and funding approach, which has not yet been scoped.
While the Department has successfully completed Phase 1 of the National Action Plan, considerable challenges lie ahead during Phase 2 in supporting the large number of unregistered childminders to register with Tusla and take part in the National Childcare Scheme before the end of the transition period in 2027. Given the scale of the challenge that still remains, my priority is to deliver on the remaining phases of the National Action Plan in the coming years.
The Department has committed to undertake a review of the initial implementation of the Childminding-specific Regulations during the transition period. The review will commence in 2026 and will include consultation with childminders and other stakeholders. Following conclusion of this review, I will give consideration to the appropriate next steps.
119. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the current number of adults with an intellectual disability awaiting residential placement, per health region, and for a categorisation of wait times in years and months. [12930/26]
View answerThis Government is committed to delivering and expanding residential services for people with disabilities as set out in the Programme for Government.
As of December 2025, approximately 90 service providers are providing 8,911 residential places to people with disabilities.
This Government and the HSE acknowledge the very high demand for residential placements due to a number of factors including demographic challenges associated with the increase in the number of people living with a disability as well as changing needs and the increase in age profile of those in existing placements. Further challenges include the availability of appropriate housing and recruitment challenges impacting all areas of disability services.
The Department of Children, Disability and Equality is continuing to work closely alongside the HSE to increase provision of these vital services. From 2020 to 2025, 955 new priority one residential places have been created for people with disabilities.
Budget 2026 has provided €3.8billion to Specialist Disability Services. Approximately 60% of this total funding will be provided to support specialist disability residential services. This year, €65million has been provided to the HSE for new developments in respect of residential services. €40million of this funding will provide for an additional 199 new residential responses, which includes 152 new residential places. It will also support new residents in existing placements that have become vacant and require enhancement and in limited circumstances, placements in nursing home settings.
The HSE’s 2026 National Service Plan includes details of a new initiative which will see 72 of these new planned places in 2026, in addition to funding an additional 80 unplanned urgent places to address emerging need.
HSE Disability Services operates a system called the Disability Support Application Management Tool (DSMAT) which provides a list and detailed profiles of people who need additional funded supports in each HSE area.
The HSE advises that HSE Integrated Healthcare areas and Regional Healthcare areas manage the need and requirements in their respective areas, working in conjunction with local Service Providers with a view to responding to the level of presenting needs within the resources available.
In 2019, there were 776 applications for a new residential service. This increased each year up to 1,558 at the end of 2024. The most recent available data from Q2 2025 shows a decrease in applications to 1,389. Approximately 20% of these applications have been designated at Priority one (highest need), with the remainder of applications designated as Priority two or Priority three need.
The HSE also highlights that a number of applications relate to an existing resident who requires additional funded supports on a recurring basis, to meet significant changing needs such as ageing, mental health or behavioural presentation.
The DSMAT captures detailed information on home and family circumstances and a detailed presentation profile of each individual. This enables the Regional Healthcare Areas to record and manage requests for support for those with complex needs and to ensure that the application process is equitable and transparent.
It is important to note, however, that the DSMAT is not a chronological waiting list. Rather, it is a support to the local HSE area to feed into its decision-making process around prioritisation of services. This means that services are allocated on the basis of greatest presenting need and associated risk factors.
120. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the engagement her Department has had with the Office of the Attorney General regarding the ratification of the Second Optional Protocol of the UNCRC; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13303/26]
View answerThe Government is committed to ratification of the Second Optional Protocol to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and work is ongoing to ratify the Protocol as soon as possible.
As the deputy is aware the Protocol provides that states parties shall prohibit the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography. It also obliges these states to participate in the extradition of individuals in relation to these crimes. Importantly, under article 8 of the Protocol, it also protects the rights and interests of child victims including through allowing their views and concerns to be presented and considered; supporting them through the legal process; protecting their privacy; and providing for their safety.
In Irish treaty practice, the State must be in a position to meet all of the obligations it assumes under the terms of an international agreement from the moment it enters into force. Often it will not be possible for the State to meet these obligations without first taking steps required by domestic law, or otherwise, enabling it to do so. As work towards ratification of the protocol continues, the State is obliged to ensure that all legislative provisions are in place for it to meet these obligations.
The Department has been in regular contact with the Office of the Attorney General on this matter.
The Department has recently received confirmation from the Attorney General’s Office that the measures taken are sufficient to overcome barriers to ratification which had been previously identified. The Department will now work with Departments of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration and of Foreign Affairs and Trade to prepare the necessary measures required on ratification. Once this work is complete, Government approval will be sought to ratify the Protocol.
121. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the progress to date in identifying the locations of the eight pilot public childcare facilities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13270/26]
View answerI recently announced €135 million in capital investment in buildings for high-quality, accessible State-led early learning and childcare. The process will begin in 2026 with investment in buildings in what will be a ground-breaking initiative for this Government. Capital funding will be used to acquire and/or fit out the building, depending on requirements.
The objectives of the capital programme are:
To deliver additional publicly subsidised supply for Early Learning and Care where required, with a focus on places for 1- to 3-year-olds and sufficient places for children to age up in the same service.
To deliver additional supply where required in areas of disadvantage and rural areas.
To eEnsure all supply delivered is inclusive and high quality.
To deliver supply in appropriate locations, taking account of accessibility for parents, links with other relevant services/amenities, appropriate land-use, and spatial planning goals.
To ensure cost-effectiveness and timeliness of delivery.
and
To support improved public management of the ELC sector as a whole.
A suite of appraisal tools have been developed, including a forward planning model, in order to select projects that align with these objectives.
Examples of criteria include: alignment with planning strategy; services accessibility; public transport accessibility; estimated number of places created; demand for 1-ECCE age; demand for other age groups; estimated total project cost; estimated cost per place; timeliness/readiness; level of deprivation of surrounding area; level of rurality of surrounding area; make up and resilience of sector in local area in surrounding area; project alignment with the Universal Design Guidelines.
The focus in the new State-led facilities on providing places for 1-3 year old children, with scope for these children to progress in the service until they start school, is because this is where the need is greatest.
Up to eight buildings will be selected for investment this year and the State-led initiative will provide thousands of places up to 2030 using the €135 million provided in the National Development Plan.
A Capital Steering Group is in place within the Department. The Department is assessing sites and buildings and, where required, will seek expressions of interest from operators to deliver these State-led services.
The Department of Children, Disability and Equality is in discussions with local authorities and State agencies, including the Land Development Agency, about the potential for acquiring buildings.
Advanced discussions are ongoing with Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council in relation to the early learning and care facility at the Shanganagh Castle Estate, and a range of other projects are also being considered.
No final decisions have yet been made on the specific projects but I look forward to sharing details of projects as they are agreed.
The level of investment will ramp up over the lifetime of the Government. The initial approach is on purchasing and refurbishment of buildings given that this is a faster route to delivery in the short term. However, the option of building new facilities will also be considered over subsequent years.
122. Deputy Edward Timmins asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to review the childcare funding models for setting of fee rates in Core Funding and the ECCE programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13371/26]
View answerThe Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Programme is a free universal programme available to all children within the eligible age range. All ECCE providers in contract with the Department must offer ECCE for 3 hours per day, 5 days per week over a 38-week period in return for the ECCE subsidy
ECCE providers may only charge for a small number of approved optional extra(s) from a prescribed list. Where a parent does not choose any of the approved optional extras, their child must be provided with the full ECCE Programme.
Since Core Funding was introduced, its effectiveness has been subject to ongoing assessment, which has facilitated the iterative evolution of this scheme.
An evaluation of the first year of Core Funding and the development of an evaluation framework for Core Funding is currently underway. This project will examine the early implementation of Core Funding and make recommendations for future evaluations of the grant. Findings from the project are expected in the coming months.
This project is being undertaken by Irish Government Economic and Evaluation Service (IGEES) policy analysts working in the Research and Evaluation Unit of my Department.
IGEES is an integrated cross-government service established in 2012 with the objective of enhancing the role of economics and value for money analysis in public policy making. It is part of the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery, and Reform.
It is envisaged that the future evaluations will have a broader scope and will be governed by a Steering Group. The terms of reference for future evaluations will be informed by the recommendations arising from the evaluation of the first year of the grant.
A key condition of receiving the significant State funding available through the Core Funding Scheme requires that Partner Services adhere to the Core Funding fee management system, including a freeze on fees at 2021 levels and fee caps.
Fee caps on all Partner Services, which were introduced in September 2025, represent the latest progression in the phased development of the Core Funding fee management system.
The fee caps are facilitated by the Common Fee Structure, which was introduced in September 2024 and organises care into six Fee Bands by hours of weekly provision, from Band A (less than 10 hours) up to Band F (50 hours or more).
€20.6 million in brand new full-year funding was secured in Budget 2026 to support providers in adhering to Core Funding fee management conditions, including reductions in the maximum fee caps in the 2026/2027 programme year.
The Department is fully committed to balancing affordability for parents and viability for businesses through Core Funding.
Work is currently underway in the Department to finalise policy for Core Funding programme year 2026/2027.
123. Deputy John Clendennen asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the steps being taken to improve access to children's disability network teams; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13293/26]
View answerThe Children Disability Network Teams are interdisciplinary team services for children presenting with complex clinical needs requiring collaborative work on shared clinical goals.
Through the roadmap for Service Improvement, Disability Services for Children and Young People, a series of actions have been progressed to improve access to Children’s Disability Network Teams (CDNTs). These teams provided supports to 44,739 children with complex needs as of the end of December 2025. This represents an increase of approximately 2,000 children compared with May 2024.
The HSE are currently developing a Service Improvement Plan 2026-2027-Disability Services for Children and Young People, which will build on and improve works started under the Roadmap.
The Government has provided funding for additional posts to enhance the capacity of CDNTs and shorten waiting times in recent years, with further investment in Budget 2026 to fund 150 posts for CDNTs and clinical trainee places. In Budget 2026 alone, more than €3.8 billion has been allocated for Disability Services, which represents an overall increase since 2020 of €1.8bn.
The overall Children’s Disability Network Team vacancy rate has reduced from 29% in 2023, to 18% in 2025 – a reduction of 11 percentage points nationally.
The HSE are driving intensive domestic and international recruitment efforts.
A dedicated Disability Workforce Strategy will be developed by the HSE in 2026, to meet growing service demands and address recruitment and retention challenges across specialist disability services, including Children’s Disability Network Teams.
The Government, the Department, the HSE and service providers remain committed to the delivery of appropriate services for children with disabilities and their families that meet their needs.
124. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she has met with the Special Advocate following her report into the mother and baby institutions payment scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13214/26]
View answerMs. Patricia Carey was appointed to the role of Special Advocate for Survivors of Institutional Abuse in March 2024. Operating independently of the Minister and the Department, her primary role is to amplify the voices of survivors as a central, essential input to Government deliberations on matters which affect them and to promote the collective interests of survivors. Her remit encompasses Mother and Baby Institutions, County Home Institutions, Magdalen Laundries, Industrial and Reformatory Schools and those adopted, boarded out or subject to illegal birth registration.
The First Annual Report of the Special Advocate was published on 24th June 2025. The Report provides a comprehensive overview of the feedback which the Special Advocate has received across her entire remit and outlines in detail the issues raised by survivors as well as her recommendations to address them. The department published a response to the recommendations at the time and it is available on the department's website here - www.gov.ie/en/department-of-children-disability-and-equality/publications/contact-us/#other-useful-contacts - alongside a commitment to continue engaging positively with the Special Advocate in relation to the issues raised.
I published the first annual report for the Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme on the 5th February, after laying it before both Houses of the Oireachtas. The report covers the period from the Scheme’s opening on 20 March 2024 to 31 December 2024.
I met with the Special Advocate last July, following the publication of her report and I welcome her views, as expressed to me then and in her media activity since. Since the Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme began, officials in the Department have had monthly meetings with the Special Advocate to discuss operational, promotional and other aspects of the Scheme. Engagement will continue with the Special Advocate on these matters, aiming always to improve Scheme operations and communications where possible.
I would like to thank survivors and former residents for their continued engagement with the Special Advocate and the Department. It is only through ongoing engagement that we can ensure the voices of survivors continue to be a central input in Government deliberations which affect them.
125. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will consider purchasing a building (details supplied) for the purposes of establishing a community childcare facility; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13329/26]
View answerI recently announced €135 million in capital investment in buildings for high-quality, accessible State-led early learning and childcare. The process will begin in 2026 with investment in buildings in what will be a ground-breaking initiative for this government. Capital funding will be used to acquire and/or fit out the building, depending on requirements.
Up to eight buildings will be selected for investment this year and the State-led initiative will provide thousands of places up to 2030 using the €135 million provided in the National Development Plan. The level of investment will ramp up over the lifetime of the Government.
There will be a particular focus in the new State-led facilities on providing places for 1-3 year old children, with capacity for these children to continue in the service until they start school, because this is where the need is greatest. The aim of delivering additional supply of this type in suitable locations will include both rural areas and urban areas which are not well served at the moment.
A suite of appraisal tools have been developed, including a forward planning model, in order to select projects that align with programme objectives. No final decisions have yet been made on the specific projects but I look forward to sharing details of projects as they are agreed.
This Department is assessing sites and buildings and, where required, will seek expressions of interest from operators to deliver these State-led services.
Local City and County Childcare Committees will be supporting the development of projects so in the first instance, community early learning and childcare operators, local authorities, developers, or others who might have a suitable premises or project should contact their local City/County Childcare Committee.
126. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to report on the progress being made to establish community neurological rehabilitation multidisciplinary teams for children who have acquired brain injuries and other neurological conditions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13213/26]
View answerAs this question refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly.
127. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of persons who have ceased fostering in each of the past ten years; the number of persons who have begun fostering in each of those years, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12166/26]
View answerAs this question relates to operational information held by Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, the question has been referred to the Agency to reply directly to the Deputy.
