Written Answers Nos. 490-505
490. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether any external or independent review has assessed the effectiveness of the National Review Panel operational guidance last updated in 2021. [36119/26]
View answerThe death of a child in care or known to state services, whether at home, in care, or aftercare, is a tragic event that deeply affects family, friends, carers/staff connected to the child and local communities. The National Review Panel (NRP) conducts reviews of child deaths and serious incidents, where the child is in care or is known to Tusla.
The NRP is independent in the performance of its functions, making findings of fact and producing reports that are objective and independent of Tusla. The NRP operates under guidance, last reviewed by the Department in 2021. The NRP produces reports that are factually based and identify points of learning to improve services provided to children and families. I can further advise that no external or independent review has assessed the effectiveness of the National Review Panel operational guidance last updated in 2021
I can advise the Deputy that officials from this Department regularly review NRP reports from the context of analysing the quality of services provided directly or indirectly by Tusla to the child or young person concerned. In some instances, follow-up with Tusla may be required. Where this is deemed necessary, it can include requests for a written response from Tusla, or a meeting with Tusla officials.
Additionally, NRP reports are reviewed by the Department from the context of driving change and identifying learning and good practice across both Alternative Care and Child Protection and Welfare services.
Where the NRP makes recommendations which fall outside the remit of both this Department and Tusla, officials within the Department ensure that these recommendations are brought to the attention of the appropriate departments or agencies across Government for their attention.
As Minister, I intend to bring forward amendments via the Child Care (Amendment) Bill 2025, to place the National Review Panel on a statutory footing. In addition to enhancing the work of the National Review Panel by strengthening its governance and independence, this legislation will improve its ability to compel information and witnesses in respect of all reviews that it undertakes. Following engagement with the Attorney General’s Office, it is likely that amendments will be brought forward during the Oireachtas legislative process for the Childcare Amendment Bill, once the relevant provisions have been drafted.
491. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether the proposed statutory powers for the National Review Panel under the Child Care (Amendment) Bill 2025 will include powers to compel documentation from non-State entities or private providers engaged by Tusla. [36120/26]
View answerAs Minister, I intend to bring forward amendments via the Child Care (Amendment) Bill 2025, to place the National Review Panel on a statutory footing. In addition to enhancing the work of the National Review Panel as well as strengthening its governance and independence, this legislation will improve its ability to compel information and witnesses in respect of all reviews that it undertakes. Following engagement with the Attorney General’s Office, it is likely that amendments will be brought forward during the Oireachtas legislative process for the Childcare Amendment Bill, once the relevant provisions have been drafted.
493. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether any estimated costings or staffing models have been prepared for the establishment of a national statutory child death review mechanism; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36122/26]
View answerI intend to bring forward amendments via the Child Care (Amendment) Bill 2025, to place the National Review Panel on a statutory footing. This will further enhance the work of the National Review Panel, as well as strengthening its governance and independence.
Additionally, I welcomed the publication, in April 2025, of the Ombudsman for Children’s report entitled Child Death Review: The Case for a National Statutory Review Mechanism for the Deaths of Children in Ireland.
The data outlined in the report highlights that deaths of children in care are a small subset of the overall number of child deaths occurring in the State. There is no single body, at this time, which is responsible for the review of all child deaths at national level. Engagement with colleagues across Government to identify the most appropriate lead organisation continues.
In this context, it is not possible, at this time, to share a timeline, or specific measures relating to the establishment of a National Child Death Review Mechanism.
494. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether the Government intends that a future national child death review mechanism will publish anonymised national thematic reports and recommendations arising from reviews. [36123/26]
View answerI welcomed the publication, in April 2025, of the Ombudsman for Children’s report entitled Child Death Review: The Case for a National Statutory Review Mechanism for the Deaths of Children in Ireland.
The data outlined in the report highlights that deaths of children in care are a small subset of the overall number of child deaths occurring in the State. There is no single body, at this time, which is responsible for the review of all child deaths at national level.
Additionally, the current Programme for Government contains a commitment to establish a national child Death Review Mechanism on a statutory basis.
Engagement with colleagues across Government to identify the most appropriate lead organisation continues.
In this context, it is not possible, at this time, to share specific measures relating to the establishment of a National Child Death Review Mechanism.
495. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality of the 293 international protection applicants that were 'deemed ineligible' for Tusla's services between 2022 and 2025, the number that were later determined to be 'eligible' following a subsequent assessment; the mean or median time that this cohort spent awaiting a second assessment; where they were accommodated while awaiting; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36295/26]
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.
496. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether her Department has calculated the cumulative estimated inflation-adjusted funding shortfall affecting Section 38 and Section 39 disability providers since 2008; and if she will provide the methodology and figures used. [36366/26]
View answerThe Government acknowledges the essential role of section 38 and section 39 voluntary organisations who deliver residential services to many people across the country. The Department of Children, Disability and Equality is committed to working with the HSE and the broader disability sector to ensure that valued service providers receive the funding they need to continue to deliver quality services and supports to disabled people in Ireland.
In 2026 we are providing €3.9 billion for HSE Specialist Disability Services, an increase of €628m, or almost 20% over 2025. This is the largest ever increase in funding for Disability Services. It follows significant year on year increases resulting in an overall increase of €1.85bn or 91% since 2020.
This Department provides funding to the HSE to deliver specialist disability services either directly or via Section 38 and Section 39 voluntary sector organisations. While this Department sets the strategy, policy direction and the overall allocation for the disability sector, funding allocations to individual service providers is an operational matter for the HSE as the funding authority.
There is a statutory obligation upon the HSE under the Health Act to plan and deliver services within the agreed allocation.
In allocating funding to service providers, the HSE takes into account the resources available, Ministerial strategic priorities, national targets for service expansion, regional need and capacity of service providers to deliver.
Each year the Estimates process allows the HSE to request funding for the full cost of service provision, including cost increases experienced during the previous year. In advance of the budgetary process for Budget 2027, commencing in July, I look forward to hearing feedback from representatives at the upcoming Pre-Estimates Forum, in May 2026.
Priority Action 10.4 in the National Human Rights Strategy for Disabled People commits to “develop a new vision and reform strategy for specialist disability supports and services for 2030 to ensure that services are progressively more person-led, sustainable and cost-effective”. On foot of this commitment, the Department is examining the model of disability service provision in Ireland. This is with a view to formulating a new vision for disability services in Ireland to 2030 to give renewed strategic focus to the sector. This work will seek to ensure services can sustainably continue to deliver quality outcomes for all of those who need them into the future.
This work aligns with a Programme for Government commitments to deliver a step-change in disability services, as well developing a successor plan to the Action Plan for Disability Services 2024-2026.
497. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether any section 38 or 39 disability provider has notified the HSE or her Department of financial sustainability concerns, deficits or service-delivery risks since 2020; and if she will provide the number of such notifications by year. [36367/26]
View answerThis Department provides funding to the HSE to deliver specialist disability services either directly or via Section 38 and Section 39 voluntary sector organisations.
While this Department sets the strategy, policy direction and the overall budget allocation for the disability sector, funding allocations to individual service providers is an operational matter for the HSE as the funding authority.
Section 38 and Section 39 organisations are therefore advised to engage directly with the HSE regarding financial concerns.
As this question refers to operational matters I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly.
498. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether the HSE or her Department maintains a formal financial risk-rating system for section 38 and 39 disability providers; and, if so, to provide details. [36368/26]
View answerThis Department provides funding to the HSE to deliver specialist disability services either directly or via Section 38 and Section 39 voluntary sector organisations.
While the Department sets the strategy, policy direction and the overall budget allocation for the disability sector, funding allocations to individual service providers is an operational matter for the HSE as the funding authority.
Section 38 and Section 39 organisations are therefore advised to engage directly with the HSE regarding financial concerns.
As this question refers to operational matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly.
499. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether any national framework exists to assess consistency in the application of emergency child removal powers under sections 12 and 13 of the Child Care Act 1991 across Tusla regions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36369/26]
View answerAs this question relates to operational matters managed by Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, this question has been referred to the Agency to reply directly to the Deputy.
500. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether any formal outcomes comparison has been conducted between Tusla-operated residential placements and privately operated placements; and if she will provide details. [36374/26]
View answerAs this question relates to data and operational information held by Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, the question has been referred to the Agency to reply directly to the Deputy.
501. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether any quantified target exists to reduce Tusla’s reliance on private residential childcare placements; and if not, whether such a target will be introduced. [36375/26]
View answerTusla, the Child and Family Agency, has acknowledged its increased reliance on private providers in recent years, and has committed to incrementally reduce this. It is also intends to increase its provision of statutory placements, as well as those provided by community & voluntary organisations.
The Department of Children, Disability and Equality has resourced Tusla to maintain and expand its provision of services through significant additional funding across successive Budgets. In Budget 2026, an overall increase of €177 million was secured for Tusla, representing a 14% increase in Tusla’s budget over its 2025 allocation. This brings Tusla’s total funding to over €1.4 billion for 2026. This increase includes an additional €53 million for mainstream residential care. Tusla plans to invest a total of €286 million in expanding mainstream residential care in 2026, increasing the number of placements for children in need to over 800.
While no specific target has been set, Tusla reports that it opened an additional 38 residential care placements in 2025 and is on track to open a further 47 additional placements in 2026 and into 2027. Tusla has said that a further six properties are in the process of acquisition. In terms of staffing, Tusla is working to increase its workforce capacity through new supply routes, such as its apprenticeship programme, improved recruitment of social workers and social care workers, which has increased by 11% over the last three years.
Section 41 of the Child and Family Act, 2013 stipulates that the Minister provides guidance to Tusla in the form of the Performance Framework, which is published every three years. The Performance Framework is an opportunity to provide the Agency with policy guidance, direction and prioritisation parameters for the preparation of its corporate plan. Further, each year of the Framework is further governed by an annual Performance Statement, which provides direction for Tusla within the overall guidance of the Framework. The current Performance Statement includes priority 4.3.a, which states that Tusla should continue its efforts to increase its residential care capacity while reducing reliance on private provision and special emergency arrangements.
Work is also underway on The National Policy Framework for Alternative Care. The Framework will aim to articulate a future and Whole of Government vision of alternative care in Ireland, and will also deliver on a Programme for Government commitment in this regard. This will include a robust consultation process, through which the views of members of the public, stakeholders, key workers and carers, and people with care experience will be captured. The Framework will seek to address current issues in accessing a sufficient number of appropriate care places, and articulate a longer term vision for how the care system will operate into the future. The Framework is expected to be delivered in summer 2026.
502. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether any national workload-modelling framework for Children’s Disability Network Teams is currently being developed following the NDA literature review; and if so, the projected implementation timeline. [36376/26]
View answerAs this question refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
503. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether workload and burnout metrics are currently collected nationally across Children’s Disability Network Teams; and if she will provide the methodology used. [36377/26]
View answerAs this question refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
504. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to provide a copy of the recent correspondence issued by the Minister for Public Expenditure; National Development Plan Delivery and Reform to her Department referred to in media reports (details supplied); if she will provide details of the percentage reduction(s) in spending in her Department referenced in the correspondence; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36399/26]
View answerThe department received a letter from the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation which notes the application of a levy following the Government Decision S180/20/10/3001 dated 21 April “on the application of an Expenditure Levy.”
The Department is not in a position to release the letter as it is not appropriate having regard to negotiations to be undertaken as part of the 2027 Estimates and Budgetary process.
505. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of recipients of the national childcare scheme and the early childhood care and education programme, broken down by electoral division of recipients, not Local Electoral Area, for the most recent year for which data is available; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36435/26]
View answerThe National Childcare Scheme (NCS) provides financial support to help parents reduce the cost of early learning and childcare.
Subsidies are available for children aged between 24 weeks and 15 years of age.
The minimum rate available to all families in Ireland is €2.14 per hour, which is available for up to 45 weekly hours. Depending on the child's age and the family's income, an additional income assessed subsidy may be available to provide additional support. This subsidy can be as much as €5.10 per hour, also for up to 45 weekly hours.
The Early Childhood Care and Education Programme (ECCE) is a free, universal two-year preschool programme available to all children within the eligible age range funded by the Department of Children, Disability and Equality (DCDE). It provides children with their first formal experience of early learning prior to commencing primary school.
For your information, please see the below link, which details the electoral division of recipients for both ECCE and NCS for the calendar year 2025. Electoral Divisions were determined by Eircode.
Please note that while most Electoral Divisions can be populated using the Eircode database, this is not possible for a small proportion that do not feature within the database. For these addresses, the Local Electoral Area has been identified and the Electoral Division has been marked as N/A. Please also note that there may be slight differences in totals from recent PQ 33206/26 due to the timing of extracts.
