Written Answers Nos. 217-236
217. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her Department has considered the cost of increasing the number of graduate lead educators working per room at a time under the core funding rules, as set out under Together for Better. [37989/26]
View answerIn programme year 4 of Core Funding, the cost of supporting the Graduate Lead Educator Premium is anticipated to amount to c. €47.5 million – which accounts for almost 12% of the overall year 4 Core Funding allocation.
The Graduate Lead Educator Premium, which pays out a rate of €4.44 per graduate-led hour, supports the employment of graduate staff. The Graduate Lead Educator premium is paid for every hour that an Early Learning and Care (ELC) or combined ELC/School Age Childcare (SAC) session is led by a graduate Lead Educator.
Under the Core Funding Partner Service Funding Agreement, the Graduate Lead Educator Premium is payable only once at any one time within a given room, even though multiple Graduate Lead Educators can be assigned to a single room at any one time. To amend this policy would require a complete reassessment of the entire Core Funding model and at this juncture, this is not envisaged.
The current policy is in alignment with the Expert Group’s recommendations outlined in the report Partnership for the Public Good: A New Funding Model for Early Learning and Care and School-Age Childcare, which informed the development of the Together for Better funding model. Core Funding incorporated funding to support the employment of graduate staff, replacing the ECCE Higher Capitation payment which had diverted graduates away from non-ECCE provision, despite the importance of high-quality provision for children under the age of 3. Therefore, it is important that funding incentivises providers to spread their graduate lead educator staff across multiple rooms in their ELC service, rather than confining graduate led provision to one particular room or age cohort.
218. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the estimated cost of bringing early years graduates Level 8 and 9 under public-sector pay and conditions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37990/26]
View answerThe level of pay for early years educators and school-age childcare practitioners does not reflect the value of their work for children, families, society and the economy.
Although the Government is the primary funder of the sector, it is not the employer and cannot directly set wages or conditions for any staff in the sector.
The Joint Labour Committee is the formal mechanism established by which employer and employee representatives can negotiate minimum pay rates, which are set down in Employment Regulation Orders, and is independent in its functions.
Pay and conditions are improving. Through the work of the JLC and successive ERO’s, minimum pay rates have now risen three times in four years, delivering an average 15% increase in minimum rates of pay. This marks significant progress in professionalising the workforce.
The latest ERO came into effect in October 2025 which saw an increase in minimum pay rates of, on average, 10% and will increase pay for over 67% of staff in the sector. Outcomes from the Joint Labour Committee process are supported by Government through Core Funding.
In this programme year 2025/26 Core Funding has increased by 6% to approximately €350 million with an additional €45 million in ring-fenced Core Funding provided to support services in meeting the increased cost of minimum pay rates in the sector.
In line with the Programme for Government commitment to continue to support Employment Regulation orders, I recently another allocation of up to €15m of ring-fenced funding from September 2026, which amounts up to €45m for the full programme year, to support service providers with costs associated with possible increases in minimum rates of pay negotiated via the independent Joint Labour Committee process.
The estimated annual costs of salaries for all staff with a National Framework of Qualifications Level 7 degree qualification or higher, based on data provided by Partner Services contracted to Core Funding in April 2026 was approximately €495 million.
* The cost estimate is based on staff data recorded in service providers’ submissions for Core Funding, with the Core Funding data extrapolated to provide an estimate for all staff working in the sector.
* The figure does not include the cost of public sector terms and conditions in relation to holiday pay or sick leave due to the complexities of mapping such conditions. However, a 21% employer cost has been included in the calculations (to cover PRSI, Holiday pay, Sick Pay and Auto Enrolment Pension contributions).
* The cost estimates only relate to staff and managers covered by the current Employment Regulation Orders with a degree level qualification, i.e. the estimates exclude the cost of ancillary staff or staff working with children with a qualification lover that a level 7.
* The figure provided does not take into account the income currently received by those working in the sector who are self-employed and who derive their income from profits rather than wages.
219. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the status of the National Equality Data Strategy; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38030/26]
View answerThe National Equality Data Strategy 2026-2031 is available at: www.gov.ie/en/department-of-children-disability-and-equality/publications/the-national-equality-data-strategy/
This Strategy has been developed by the Central Statistics Office and the Department in partnership with a working group drawn from across Government and civil society.
Equality data is “any piece of information that is useful for the purposes of describing and analysing the state of equality”. This data is important for:
• the design and delivery of inclusive policies and services,
• enabling policymakers and the public to assess the scale and nature of discrimination suffered by vulnerable and marginalised groups, and
• analysing where needs are most acute and what impact interventions are having.
The Strategy requires all Government Departments to make a commitment to collect, use or disseminate equality data and to develop the organisational capacity to fulfil this commitment. It provides a general approach for identifying and filling current gaps in equality data, as well as developing standard practices in classification.
The Strategy will improve Ireland’s collection, disaggregation and use of equality data to enable policymakers to develop sound and inclusive evidence-informed policies that improve service delivery and outcomes across Ireland.
Work is now underway on implementation, including the formation of a steering group to oversee, monitor and report on progress.
220. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will provide a ranking of local electoral areas showing where childcare unmet demand is highest; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38031/26]
View answerA forward planning model has been developed by officials in the Department of Children, Disability and Equality to better understand the nature of early learning and childcare supply/demand misalignment and to inform decision making about capital investment. Analysis is ongoing of the data in this model in order to identify areas of greatest undersupply.
The analysis of the Forward Planning model provides a key input into the approach to the capital programme to be resourced through the allocation in the revised National Development Plan 2026-30. The forward planning model has been developed to provide analysis to the division for internal purposes, particularly to inform consideration of capital investment projects as well as wider supply planning.
The publication of any data or outputs has been considered in light of potential commercial impacts, the negotiating position of the Department, and the sensitivity of personal information that is contained in or could possibly be derived from the data. There is significant risk in making the data available more widely that it will contribute to price inflation of early learning and childcare properties in areas of high future demand which is likely to result in greater costs both for the State and other interested parties.
Aggregated childcare demand and capacity data, including data on enrolments, vacancies and waiting lists, is available at: www.pobal.ie/childcare/capacity/
Data on population and on expected future trends in population is available from www.cso.ie/en/ and the ESRI.
221. Deputy Seamus Healy asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of WTE senior social worker posts filled at Cashel Children's Disability Network Team as of 14 May 2026; and if she will provide the same figures as of 31 May 2023, in tabular form. [38060/26]
View answerAs this question refers to the service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
222. Deputy Seamus Healy asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of WTE psychologists posts filled at Clonmel Children's Disability Network Team as of 14 May 2026; and if she will provide the same figures as of 31 May 2023, in tabular form. [38061/26]
View answerAs this question refers to the service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
223. Deputy Seamus Healy asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of WTE clinical nurse specialists in intellectual disabilities posts filled within CHO5 as of 14 May 2026; and if she will provide the same figures as of 31 May 2023, in tabular form. [38062/26]
View answerAs this question refers to the service matters, I have requested the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
224. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the vacancy rates for each of the twelve CORU-regulated health and social care professions in the public health service in each of the past five years, noting that the April 2025 CDNT Workforce Report recorded a 21% vacancy rate for health and social care professionals in Children's Disability Network Teams; the progress that has been made in reducing that rate; whether the additional health and social care professional student places approved in June 2025 are sufficient to address current vacancies alongside projected increases in demand across those professions to 2040 [38070/26]
View answerAs this question refers to the service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
225. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will provide details on the current Children's Disability Network Team staffing ratio per 1,000 children in each area across Cork city and county; if she will confirm whether the staffing disparity between areas where parts of East Cork have fewer than 1.5 CDNT staff per 1,000 children compared to over 4.7 in other parts of the city has been identified as a priority for remediation; the specific measures that are in place to address geographic inequity in CDNT staffing within the HSE South West region; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38074/26]
View answerAs this question refers to the service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
226. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she is aware that the Cork-based HSE-funded voluntary organisation (details supplied) which supports more than 2,800 children and adults with intellectual disabilities and autism across Cork city and county, spent a combined total of €11.33 million on agency staff during 2024 and 2025; if she will outline the analysis her Department has carried out on whether the current funding model for HSE-funded voluntary disability service providers in Cork is sufficient to allow them to recruit and retain permanent staff without recourse to costly agency arrangements; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38075/26]
View answerThe Department of Children, Disability and Equality provides funding to the HSE to deliver specialist disability services either directly or via Section 38 and Section 39 organisations. The Government acknowledges this essential role voluntary organisations have in delivering a range of disability services across the country.
In 2026, the Department is 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.
While this Department sets the strategy, policy direction and the overall allocation for the disability sector, decisions on commissioning of services from individual service providers and funding allocations to individual service providers are an operational matter for the HSE as the funding authority.
The HSE works in partnership with organisations including Section 38, Section 39, Out of State and private organisations to ensure the best level of service possible is provided to people with a disability and their families, within the available resources. The majority of specialised disability provision (80%) is delivered through non-statutory sector service providers funded by the HSE using allocated budget funding.
Furthermore, the Department welcomes engagement from all stakeholders in relation to specialist disability services. A critical part of this engagement is through the annual Estimates process which provides an important opportunity for organisations to outline their proposals through their pre-budget submissions.
The HSE has committed to making savings through reducing the total pay and staffing costs by reducing the amount of agency staff hours that are used. The HSE as the governing body is responsible for oversight of agency spend and ensuring that it is kept within set limits.
Budget 2026 provided €1,623.9 million in Pay funding and this will allow for the recruitment of 976 WTEs. Following the publication of the National Service Plan, the Disability Pay and Number Strategy was agreed, under which HSE has been authorised to undergo an agency conversion programme in 2026 of 74 agency WTE into HSE/Section39 staff. Overall, this will increase the number of HSE and Section 38 staff by 1,050 WTEs.
Agency staff incur a premium and so there would be a saving on each WTE who is converted. Due to the nature of disability work and the requirements of HIQA standards, agency workers make up an important part of the workforce.
The WRC pay agreement reached in 2025 between Government Departments and unions includes funding for a phased 9.25% pay increase, which will benefit workers in section 39 funded voluntary organisations. Taken with the October 2023 Agreement of an 8% increase, this amounts to a 17.25% pay funding increase over a 3½ year period.
In delivering on this 9.25% pay increase, the Government is improving the ability of service providers to actively recruit and retain staff and supporting the overall sustainability of the sector.
As part of the 2025 WRC pay agreement, a comprehensive data gathering exercise is underway, which is due to be concluded before end Q2 2026. The completion of this exercise will provide a more robust evidence base to continue discussion on pay funding in the voluntary sector.
Upon receipt of this PQ the Department contacted the HSE for an update, upon which they provided the below information.
The annual Service Level Arrangement (SLA) process provides a structured mechanism for agreeing funding allocations in return for clearly defined services, outputs, and performance expectations. Each year, the HSE and the service provider jointly review priorities, operational requirements, and available resources to ensure that funding is aligned with an agreed set of deliverables.
The annual SLA process sets out the scope of services to be delivered, expected performance standards and reporting arrangements that will track progress throughout the year. It also establishes a shared understanding of risks, dependencies, and any conditions attached to the funding.
By formalising these commitments annually, the SLA process supports consistent service quality, enables proactive performance management, and ensures that funding is used for its intended and agreed purpose.
Funding provided in the 2024 and 2025 SLAs include school leavers, decongregation, home share, residential placements, individualised funding for clients, home support, funding for specific posts, funding for premises, transport, capitation grants, pension funding, student nurse subsistence allowance, PCP funds and PRSI increases.
In addition to the annual SLA process, disability service providers may submit business cases to the HSE where specific operational pressures or service requirements arise during the year. These requests are reviewed on a case-by-case basis and assessed within the broader context of each organisation’s overall needs, available resources, and national service priorities. Business cases allow the HSE to consider targeted funding requirements in a structured manner while ensuring that any additional allocations remain consistent with agreed service levels and the wider funding framework for the sector.
Due to recent staff changes and organisational restructuring within the HSE, HSE Southwest Disability Services is currently undertaking a comprehensive review of all Business Cases submitted for 2025 and 2026. This work includes collating, validating, and assessing the status of each submission. As part of this process, Business Cases submitted by Horizons are being examined, and HSE Southwest Disability Services staff are engaging directly with Horizons and other service providers to ensure the review is complete and accurate.
HSE Southwest is aware of the challenges faced by disability service providers in relation to recruitment and retention of permanent staff. The SLA process is designed to ensure that funding is aligned with agreed service requirements, and the HSE engages with providers each year to assess operational pressures, including staffing costs. HSE Southwest will continue to engage with providers to ensure that funding requirements are considered through the annual SLA and Estimates processes.
227. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she is aware that an analysis of all 71 HIQA inspection reports into Cork disability residential centres published in 2024 found that just two centres were fully compliant with regulations, with Cork centres overall assessed as 59% compliant, 26% substantially compliant, and 15% not compliant; if she will outline the engagement her Department has had with service providers in Cork following those findings; the actions that have been taken to address the staffing shortages identified as a primary driver of non-compliance across those reports; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38076/26]
View answerI wish to thank the Deputy for raising this question. As this question refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly.
228. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will confirm the specific plans that are in place to address the HSE Roadmap for Service Improvement Q2 2025 projection that approximately 23,903 assessments of need could be due for completion by the end of 2025, with 16,593 already overdue at the end of Quarter 2 2025; if she will outline whether sufficient resources are in place to prevent the backlog from growing further in the final quarter of the year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38077/26]
View answerUnder the Disability Act, an Assessment of Need is an assessment process carried out by the HSE where a person is of the opinion that he/she may have a disability, for anyone born after 1st June 2002. It first establishes whether the person has a disability (as defined within the Act). It then identifies the health and education needs of the person with a disability and the services required to meet those needs.
It is important to note 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, reflecting both the increase in population and the number of families exploring all options to access services for their child. The impact of this increased demand has contributed to there being over 20,200 applications overdue for completion nationwide at the end of 2025. The most recent HSE data show there were 21,782 applications overdue for completion at the end of Q1 2026.
There has been intensive work by the Department of Children, Disability and Equality and the HSE to address delays in the provision of Assessments of Need. This is evident in the continued improvement in the number of completed Assessment of Need reports with 5,939 reports completed nationally in 2025. This is a 43% increase compared to the number completed in 2024. The HSE reports that 1,528 Assessment of Need reports were completed in the first 3 months of this year compared to 1,402 in Q1 2025. This improvement is welcome and must continue.
In December 2025 Government announced a series of improvements to the Assessment of Need process which will make the process more effective and efficient for children and families. Over time, this should lead to a reduction in the waiting time to receive an assessment. This reform includes legislative reform and operational improvements to support the efficiency and effectiveness of the Assessment of Need process.
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, www.gov.ie/en/department-of-children-disability-and-equality/publications/from-subject-received-size-categories-aoife-carragher-dcde-fw-dcde-website-aon-1532-1-mb/, has also been published, providing information on Assessment of Need and the proposed changes for parents and any other interested stakeholders.
It is important to recognise that legislation is only a part of the response. The Department is working with the HSE to identify further opportunities to enhance processes, improve training, and increase administrative supports for HSE Assessment Officers who are responsible for the production of assessment reports. This includes the establishment of working groups to address learning and development needs and to develop statutory guidelines.
The HSE is also implementing actions to address the wider issue of access to services and supports for children with disabilities including:
• Introduction of a Single Point of Access system by the HSE in 2026. This should make it easier for families to be referred to the right service, whether that is primary care, CDNT or mental health services. It aims to streamline referrals and reduce duplication, so children do not end up on multiple waiting lists.
• Implementation of the Autism Assessment and Intervention Pathways Protocol by the HSE in 2026. The Protocol will provide a standardised assessment process across primary care, mental health and disability services. It will be the preferred assessment route for autism.
• The creation of eleven new HSE teams, initially, to support assessment processes, including AON, providing clinical guidance and administrative supports.
The delivery of an effective, efficient Assessment of Need system continues to be a priority for the Government.
229. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will provide details on the number of senior health and social care professional whole-time equivalent posts allocated to deliver therapy services across special schools nationally; if she is aware that of the 136.3 senior HSCP whole-time equivalents allocated for onsite service provision across 82 special schools, only 88.85 were in post as of June 2025, leaving approximately 35% of allocated posts unfilled; the action been taken to fill those posts [38078/26]
View answerAs this question refers to the service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
230. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will confirm whether the Service Improvement Function of the National Children's Disability Services Team, which was responsible for working directly with individual Children's Disability Network Teams to drive service improvements, has been stepped down and its funding withdrawn; if so, when this decision was made, the assessment carried out of the likely impact on the delivery of the Roadmap for Service Improvement 2023–2026; the alternative arrangements in place to drive service improvement across CDNTs nationally in the absence of this function; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38079/26]
View answerAs this question refers to the service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
231. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will provide details on the number of the up to 6,500 clinical assessments funded through the Assessment of Need Targeted Waitlist Initiative under Budget 2026 have been delivered to date; the number of those assessments that have been allocated to families in the HSE South West region covering Cork and Kerry; the projected timeline for the full delivery of that initiative nationally; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38081/26]
View answerThe Assessment of Need Targeted Waitlist Initiative was introduced by Government in May 2024 to support the delivery of Assessments of Need (AON) to those families who have been waiting the longest for an AON.
Under this Initiative, the HSE procures clinical assessments from approved private providers. These providers are reimbursed by the HSE for clinical assessments undertaken as part of the Assessment of Need process. By the end of 2025, over 7,700 clinical assessments had been commissioned from private providers since the Initiative started in June 2024.
Funding of €20 million is being provided this year to continue the Targeted Waitlist Initiative, enabling the delivery of approximately 6,000 clinical assessments with a specific focus on autism assessments. These assessments will inform the Assessment of Need process and support the completion of AON reports.
The HSE recently established a new panel of 29 service providers to deliver these autism assessments for children and adolescents. This panel became operational in February 2026 and will be in place for one year, with an option to extend for a further year.
While the new panel is now active, there is an ongoing wind down period for Targeted Waitlist Initiative assessments commissioned prior to its activation.
The HSE reports that, in the HSE South West Region, 195 clinical assessments were procured by private providers from January to March 2026 inclusive under the Initiative. These assessments took place under the previous arrangements and the HSE South West region is moving to the new process using the new autism assessment panel.
While it is important to use private capacity to support the completion of Assessments of Need into 2026, we cannot rely on the private sector indefinitely and we must ensure that the public system can meet the clearly growing demand.
This Department continues to work with the HSE to ensure the delivery of actions to support the delivery of Assessments of Need within the public system. This includes improved training for staff involved in the delivery of Assessments of Need, additional administrative supports, and changes to processes where necessary to ensure an efficient and effective system.
As well as these operational measures, officials in the Department are working on potential legislative changes to Part 2 of the Disability Act, which provides for Assessments of Need. The proposed changes are intended to support more effective delivery of Assessments of Need, and to provide clearer guidance and supports so that the process can be made more efficient, reduce delays and allow therapists to spend more time delivering services. Importantly, these 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 along with an FAQ document, providing information on Assessment of Need and the proposed changes for parents, families and any other interested stakeholders. They are available on the Department website under Publications at: www.gov.ie/en/department-of-children-disability-and-equality/publications/from-subject-received-size-categories-aoife-carragher-dcde-fw-dcde-website-aon-1532-1-mb/
The HSE is also implementing actions to address the wider issue of access to services and supports for children with disabilities including:
• Introduction of a Single Point of Access system by the Health Service Executive in 2026. This should make it easier for families to be referred to the right service or services, whether that is a Primary Care Service, or a Children’s Disability Network Teams and/or a Mental Health Service. It aims to streamline referrals and reduce duplication, so children do not end up on multiple waiting lists.
• Implementation of the Autism Assessment and Intervention Pathways Protocol by the Health Service Executive throughout 2026. The Protocol will provide a standardised assessment process across Primary Care Services, Mental Health and Disability Services. It will be the preferred assessment route for autism.
• The creation of eleven new HSE teams, initially, to support assessment processes, including Assessment of Need, providing clinical guidance and administrative supports.
The delivery of an effective, efficient Assessment of Need system continues to be a priority for the Government.
232. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children living in emergency accommodation or in homeless families' accommodation who are currently awaiting their first contact from a Children's Disability Network Team or awaiting an assessment of need; if she is aware that the number of homeless children in the State rose from 4,510 in January 2025 to 5,188 in December 2025; the specific measures in place to ensure children living in emergency accommodation can access early learning and childcare services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38082/26]
View answerAs Minister for Children, Equality and Disability I acknowledge that the number of homeless children has risen across the country in 2025. Whilst primary responsibility for the issue rests with my colleague the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage addressing child homelessness is a matter for all of Government.
Children’s Disability Network Team (CDNT) waiting lists have fallen 48% since 2023, with 8,648 children waiting for an initial CDNT contact at the end of February 2026. 5,939 Assessment of Needs reports were completed in 2025, a 45% increase on 2024, with 21,782 Assessments overdue for completion at the end of March 2026. The HSE does not record the housing status of children awaiting CDNT services or an Assessment of Need.
The National Childcare Scheme (NCS) Sponsorship arrangement allows designated bodies to refer children to the Scheme where childcare is needed on child welfare, protection, family support or other specified grounds. There are currently five groups of children and families supported under the NCS sponsorship arrangements, including: Local authorities: To support homeless persons (within the meaning of the Housing Act 1988) with children that are homeless or moving out of homelessness to access childcare services.
Where a referral is made by a Sponsor body, the family will automatically qualify for a subsidy without having to satisfy the Scheme’s eligibility, income or enhanced hours requirements. For more information on the Sponsor process, the NCS Sponsors Team can be contacted by phone at 01 906 8535 or by email at: sponsors@ncs.gov.ie
233. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of social workers recruited by Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, in each of the past five years; if she is aware that Tusla's own Chief Executive has stated that at least 500 new social workers need to be recruited annually to keep pace with demand, while only 143 were appointed in 2024; the portion of the €6 million allocated in Budget 2026 for social work and social care apprenticeships has been drawn down to date; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38083/26]
View answerI wish to inform the Deputy that the Department’s officials have asked Tusla to respond directly to you on this matter
234. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the way in which the Health Service Executive is addressing the clear gap in service provision for adults with severe autism who transition out of children’s services, particularly in cases where families are left without adequate supports; if she accepts that the failure to provide appropriate residential or high-support placements is placing families in unsafe and unsustainable situations; and the actions she will take in respect of a specific case where a family (details supplied) is dealing with repeated violent incidents in the home where no suitable residential placement has been made available, and the only respite offered is over an hour away and effectively inaccessible. [38086/26]
View answerI wish to thank the Deputy for raising this question. As this question refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly.
235. Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the date on which the last organisational capability review was carried out in respect of Tusla; if she will provide a schedule recommendations arising from the review; the number implemented to date; and the independent body that carried out the organisational capability review. [38101/26]
View answerOrganisational capability reviews are an important tool for Government. You may be aware that, since their inception, 9 Organisational Reviews have been conducted, primarily on Government Departments. A Capability Review Team based in the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform initiate theses reviews.
In developing its Integrated Reform Programme, Tusla conducted a review of its structures and operations. These processes helped it to steer an ambitious reform program with an aim to:
• provide more integrated high-quality services, promoting better outcomes for children & young people
• better connect children and families in their communities
• improve staff experience
I should also take this opportunity to highlight that Tusla's service provision is already subject to significant external scrutiny by regulatory authorities including the Ombudsman, the Ombudsman for Children, the Comptroller and Auditor General, the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) as well as the National Review Panel.
As a publicly funded body, Tusla’s performance, spending and reform progress are monitored by The Department of Children, Disability and Equality and this process informs regular engagement with the Tusla Board.
This Department keeps the governance and funding of Tusla under ongoing review. While the option of a Periodic Critical Review (PCR) may be considered in the future, currently there are no plans to conduct a PCR of Tusla.
236. Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality her plans to increase employment opportunities for people with disabilities. [38121/26]
View answerThis is a matter for my cabinet colleague, the Minister for Social Protection.
