Written Answers Nos. 1083-1100
1083. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children living in residential care in HIQA-designated disability centres at the end of 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025; the reasons identified by her Department or the HSE for any change in the number of these placements, in tabular form. [40287/26]
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.
1084. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the average annual cost per child of a residential placement for children in HIQA-designated disability centres in 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025; the range of annual costs per child, including the lowest and highest-cost placements; the total expenditure on such placements in each year, in tabular form. [40288/26]
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.
1085. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the reason children are being placed in residential care in HIQA-designated disability centres, including family crisis, absence of appropriate community supports, safeguarding concerns, complex behavioural support needs, lack of respite, or other reasons; if these reasons are formally recorded by the HSE, in tabular form. [40289/26]
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.
1086. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality further to Question No. 927 of 19 May 2026, if any assistance is available to the parent of the vulnerable child (details supplied) to obtain an available childcare placement given all options have been exhausted at this point, including contact with the local CCC and exploring the option of childminders with no success; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40293/26]
View answerI regret to hear of the continued difficulty faced by your constituent.
As previously advised, the Department funds 30 City/County Childcare Committees (CCCs), which provide support and assistance to both families and providers with early learning and childcare matters. This network of CCCs are best placed to match children and families to services operating with vacant places and engage proactively with services to explore possibilities for expansion among services, particularly where there is unmet need.
It is advised that your constituent continues to engage with their local CCC, who are best placed to match them with an appropriate service. It is important that they also continue to engage with any services that the CCC has already identified to date in case a space does become available.
I have asked officials in the Department to liaise with the relevant CCC on this matter.
1087. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the position regarding the national childcare scheme (NCS), in particular on circumstances arising in a situation (details supplied); and her plans to amend section 4(3) of the Childcare Support Act 2018 to ensure that the NCS is flexible and responsive to families’ needs in practice by treating registered hours as a ceiling rather than a weekly attendance target, while retaining a minimum floor to guard against fraud. [40295/26]
View answerMany families avail of the National Childcare Scheme (NCS) as a way to reduce the cost of their early learning and childcare. NCS subsidies are awarded as an hourly rate, along with a maximum number of weekly hours that the subsidy will be paid for. It is between the parent and provider to agree on the hours of early learning and childcare based on the family's requirements and what sessions the provider can offer.
The accurate recording of a child’s attendance is a core obligation under the Child Care Act 1991 (Early Years Services) Regulations 2016 for early years providers and is one of the conditions set out in the NCS funding agreement.
With this said, the rules of the Scheme are designed to be very flexible. Children can under-attend services for a consecutive 12 weeks before action is taken. The Department recognises that there are many reasons why a child’s attendance may be occasionally less than their agreed hours. For instance, a parent may be able to collect their child earlier than usual because of changes in their work pattern. It is only if continual under-attendance is recorded for a consecutive 12 weeks that the award will be revised to reflect the child’s actual hours.
In full detail, if a child attends fewer than their agreed hours for a consecutive 8 week period, the provider must notify the scheme administrator and a warning will issue to the parent alerting them to the situation. At this point, if the child attends their agreed hours for a full week after this warning is issued, then no further action is taken. However, if the under-attendance continues for a further four consecutive weeks, the number of subsidised hours awarded under the Scheme will be revised to reflect the average number of hours that were actually attended by the child over the previous 12-week period.
In some cases, the provider can apply for an exemption based on special circumstances that allows the child to under-attend for a further 4 consecutive weeks, for a total of 16 weeks under-attendance. Special circumstances may include the need to attend certain medical or therapeutic appointments. This 4 week exemption may be further extended indefinitely.
The accurate monitoring of attendance is a key financial and governance control to ensure that Exchequer funding is used responsibly, and not to fund full-time places in respect of a child actually attending part-time hours.
Finally, I would note that the Department will soon commence an evaluation of the NCS. This will include consultation and engagement with parents, educators and representative organisations. This evaluation will examine how the NCS is performing currently and identify ways in which the NCS can better support families. As part of this evaluation, the hours-based model of the NCS will be reviewed.
1088. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of eight-week underattendance notifications Pobal has issued since the national childcare scheme commenced, by programme year, in tabular form. [40296/26]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that the number of eight-week underattendance notifications Pobal has issued since the National Childcare scheme commenced, by programme year.
|
Year |
2019 |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
2024 |
2025 |
2026 YTD |
|
|
31 |
816 |
1,405 |
3,716 |
6,992 |
10,280 |
13,008 |
6,127 |
The underattendance rules are a key financial and governance control to ensure that Exchequer funding is used responsibly. As of the 22nd of May 2026, 42,375 notifications have been sent since the launch of the scheme.
1089. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of families that have had their subsidy reduced or withdrawn under the underattendance rules of the national childcare scheme, broken down by programme year, in tabular form. [40297/26]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy the number of restrictions that were put in place following the application of the underattendance rules in the National Childcare Scheme, broken down by programme year.
|
Year |
2019 |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
2024 |
2025 |
2026 YTD |
|
|
0 |
38 |
189 |
504 |
906 |
1059 |
1439 |
665 |
The underattendance rules are a key financial and governance control to ensure that Exchequer funding is used responsibly, and not to fund full-time places in respect of a child actually attending part-time hours. As of the 22nd of May 2026, 4,800 restrictions have been applied based on under-attendance since the launch of the scheme.
1090. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the measure currently in place to provide training for primary and post-primary teachers in the management of epilepsy in students; if any such training is mandatory or voluntary; if she has plans to introduce mandatory epilepsy awareness and seizure response training for teachers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40308/26]
View answerThis is a matter for my cabinet colleague, the Minister for Education and Youth.
1091. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of adults with disabilities within the catchments of the Dublin south-east and Dublin and north-east health regions awaiting a residential placement, broken down by integrated healthcare area, in tabular form. [40309/26]
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.
1092. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of adult residential disability places in the Dublin south-east and Dublin and north-east health regions, broken down by integrated healthcare area within each health regions; the number of places provided directly by the HSE, section 38 providers, section 39 providers and private for-profit providers, in tabular form. [40310/26]
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.
1093. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of adults with disabilities, originally from communities within the Dublin south-east and Dublin and north-east health regions catchments who are currently placed in residential disability services more than 50km and more than 100km from their family or community of origin; and the reason for these placements where recorded, in tabular form. [40311/26]
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.
1094. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Health if the HSE provides funding for wheelchair docking stations and docking pins in adapted vehicles where these are clinically required for safe transport and posture management; the eligibility criteria that apply; whether funding is available through local HSE community healthcare services or assistive technology schemes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40142/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1095. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Health the number of social care workers and social workers waiting to register with CORU. [40239/26]
View answer1486. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Health the number of applications for social worker and social care worker that are outstanding with CORU and remain to be registered by CORU. [40248/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 1095 and 1486 together.
As the deputy might be aware, the title of “social care worker” became legally protected on 1 December 2025. This occurred after a transitional registration period that ran from 30 November 2023 to 30 November 2025.
At the end of the two-year transitional period, CORU had received over 22,000 applications for social care workers to join the CORU register. During this time CORU provided a dedicated team to give tailored support for applicants to ensure they received the assistance needed to navigate the registration process efficiently. CORU continue to process applications to facilitate the timely registration of social care workers. It is important to note that Social Care Workers who applied for registration during the transitional period may continue to work while their application is being reviewed by CORU.
At the end of April this year, there were 15,243 applications in progress from social care workers and 454 applications in progress from social workers for registration with CORU. CORU has advised that these applications ‘in progress’ will include –
• Applications checked in full and queued for the next available registration board meeting for review and decision,
• Applications submitted for review which need to be formally checked by CORU,
• Applications checked by CORU which require outstanding documentation/details,
• Applications assessed for international qualification recognition which require a compensation measure,
• Applicants who have selected to take an Aptitude test or Assessment of Professional Competence (AoPC). An AoPC is required for applicants who do not hold a relevant qualification and need to demonstrate they meet the necessary standards of proficiency to practise safely and competently to progress their registration.
• Applicants who have been reviewed and are required to complete a period of return to practice.
1096. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) in County Donegal will receive a date for surgery in St. Vincent's Hospital; if they are on the routine or urgent waiting list; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38696/26]
View answerUnder the Health Act 2004, the Health Service Executive (HSE) is required to manage and deliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services. The Minister for Health is prohibited from directing the HSE to provide a treatment or a personal service to any individual or to confer eligibility on any individual.
In relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
1097. Deputy James O'Connor asked the Minister for Health her position regarding the new national ambulance training college for the southern region; the location of the new site; the timeline for completion; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38705/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond directly to the Deputy, as soon as possible.
1098. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Health if a person will be eligible to receive weight loss injections on the medical card (details supplied) [38707/26]
View answerI propose to take PQs 38755/26, 38709/26 and 38707/26, together.
Under the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013, the HSE has statutory responsibility for decisions on the pricing and reimbursement of medicines and medical devices; therefore, the matter has been referred to the HSE for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
1099. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health the timeline for a decision by the HSE drugs group regarding the reimbursement of risdiplam for adults living with spinal muscular atrophy; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38709/26]
View answerI propose to take PQs 38755/26, 38709/26 and 38707/26, together.
Under the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013, the HSE has statutory responsibility for decisions on the pricing and reimbursement of medicines and medical devices; therefore, the matter has been referred to the HSE for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
1100. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Health the steps she will take to ensure a person (details supplied) can be given an appointment with a neurologist as quickly as possible; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38710/26]
View answerUnder the Health Act 2004, the Health Service Executive (HSE) is required to manage and deliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services. The Minister for Health is prohibited from directing the HSE to provide a treatment or a personal service to any individual or to confer eligibility on any individual.
In relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
