Written Answers Nos. 244-264
246. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to give a more detailed response in regard to Parliamentary Question No. 1091 of 28 April 2026 (details supplied); if the costing per child is in table one; and if the average costing per SEA is in table 2 or the overall amount spent for each of those years. [50074/26]
View answerAs this question relates to a clarification on operational information held by Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, the question has been referred to the Agency to reply directly to the Deputy.
247. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the way in which an organisation (details supplied) can engage in activities of the EU presidency; how they can contribute their knowledge for this period; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50076/26]
View answerAs the Member State holding the Presidency of the Council of the EU, Ireland has responsibility for progressing the EU agenda until the end of 2026. The Presidency provides an opportunity to spotlight issues where we have special expertise.
For Ireland’s Presidency, two cross-departmental groups, chaired by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, are co-ordinating the preparatory work. Officials from the Department of Children, Disability and Equality are actively engaged in these groups, which focus on the policy and operational aspects of Ireland's Presidency.
Stakeholder consultations, which included the community and voluntary sector, carried out by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, informed the development of Ireland’s Presidency programme. The Department also supported consultations with young people through Seanad na nÓg in November 2025.
On September 24th and 25th Ireland will host a meeting of European Child Guarantee coordinators; colleagues from across Europe coordinating their country’s response to the European Child Guarantee, which aims to improve outcomes for children living in poverty and at risk of poverty. This peer learning event will cover the theme of Prevention and Early Intervention, Family Supports and access to services for children at risk at poverty.
A parallel Civil Society event will be held on September 24th; Break the Cycle – The Importance of Interagency Collaboration in Breaking the Cycle of Inequality for Children and Young People through Prevention, Early Intervention and Family Support.
Given the Childhood Development Initiative’s (CDI) wealth of knowledge and experience, I understand CDI will be invited to participate in September’s Civil Society event.
248. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for an update on the implementation of the Autism Assessment and Intervention Pathway Protocol; the type of adult self-referral that is envisaged; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50085/26]
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.
249. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to review matters raised in correspondence (details supplied); if she will liaise with the forward planning and delivery unit and provide an update on this submission and make a statement on same. [50091/26]
View answerThe Building Blocks Extension Grant Scheme is currently in operation. Successful applicants are in the process of finalising the legal formalities associated with the scheme, with some services already actively delivering their projects.
The Department is working with a number of services that are encountering difficulties in delivering their projects for a variety of reasons, including the service referred to by the Deputy.
I am advised that officials in the Department are examining the submission received from Monaghan County Childcare Committee along with information provided by the service itself. I note that the service has been offered the maximum grant funding amount available under the scheme.
The Department is considering the information provided within the context of the operation of the overall scheme and will respond to the service in the coming weeks.
250. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of persons aged 65 years and over with an intellectual disability in receipt of a disability service funded by her Department or the Health Service Executive, in each of the years 2021 to 2025, and to date in 2026, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50105/26]
View answer251. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of persons aged 65 years and over with a physical disability in receipt of a disability service funded by her Department or the Health Service Executive, in each of the years 2021 to 2025, and to date in 2026, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50106/26]
View answer253. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of persons aged 65 years and over with an intellectual disability in receipt of a disability service funded by her Department or the Health Service Executive, nationally and in the Health Service Executive South West region, in each of the years 2021 to date in 2026, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50173/26]
View answer254. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of persons aged 65 years and over with a physical disability in receipt of a disability service funded by her Department or the Health Service Executive, nationally and in the Health Service Executive South West region, in each of the years 2021 to date in 2026, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50174/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 250, 251, 253 and 254 together.
As this question refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
252. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality further to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 1694 and 1695 of 9 June 2026, the “exceptional circumstances” referred to where an employer may consider it appropriate to request supporting documentation; if guidance is or will be provided; and her plans to ensure that the spirit of the Act underpins employers’ dealings with employees seeking leave to access supports. [50161/26]
View answerWith regard to the previous response, I would note that the Department commissioned Women’s Aid to develop supports for employers to develop their own domestic violence workplace policies, including templates and guidance, all of which are available at www.dvatwork.ie.
In respect of the Circular 16/2023: Civil Service Domestic Violence and Abuse Policy & Supports, the development and implementation of this policy is a matter for my cabinet colleague, the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, and questions regarding its specifics should be referred to his Department.
The Department of Children, Disability and Equality is required to carry out a review of the domestic violence leave provision of the Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2023. The review will take place in the coming months, with discussions taking place on the scoping and timing of the review.
255. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if there are plans to revisit the decision to move away from congregated settings for people with disabilities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50185/26]
View answerIncreasing the provision of disability services is a key priority for this Government and the Department of Children, Disability and Equality, alongside the HSE, is continuing to work to increase provision in order to assist those who are most vulnerable in our society, and who urgently require services.
The overall budget increase from €1.7bn at the close of 2017 to close to €3.9bn in 2026 for specialist disability services, reflects the Programme for Government commitment to improving the lives of people with disabilities, signalling to those with a disability that this Government is committed to making a difference to their lives.
Specialist disability residential services make up the largest part of the Disability funding disbursed by the HSE, almost 60% (€2.2bn) of the total budget.
€65m has been allocated to Disability Residential Services in 2026 for new developments, which includes €40m of funding that will provide in the region of 199 residential responses. This includes 152 newly created residential placements as outlined in the HSE’s National Service Plan for 2026, including 72 planned places and 80 places to meet urgent, unplanned need.
The remaining €25m will support in the region of 40 residential packages for children in care with complex needs, the enhancement of existing residential placements, transitions and the Under 65’s programme.
The Department of Children, Disability and Equality, is engaging with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, the Housing Authority, and the HSE, to explore means of responding to the need for additional capacity, which can assist forward planning and cost-effective placements.
Throughout 2026, this Department is undertaking research and progressing policy development, with a view to developing a new policy framework for specialist residential services. The policy development process will consider a range of matters relevant to specialist residential services including models of service.
256. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to urgently address the shortage of childcare places, address pay and conditions of childcare employees, provide additional staff and childcare centres across County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50281/26]
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.
One of the ways Government is supporting the expansion of capacity is through capital funding.
The Building Blocks Extension Grant Scheme is designed to increase capacity for full day places for children aged 1–3. Core Funding Partner Services could apply for capital funding to physically extend their premises or, in the case of community services, to construct or purchase new premises. The scheme will deliver up to 1,500 full-day care places.
A further Building Blocks scheme is now open for applications. This round of capital funding will fund extensions to existing premises to allow for increased numbers of children to be offered places on a full-time basis. Community and private providers who are currently Core Funding partner services will be eligible to apply for this scheme.
Separately, 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.
The State-led initiative will provide thousands of places up to 2030.
The Department is now assessing project options in order to identify which are best placed to deliver on the goals of the programme.
Project proposals can be brought to the attention of the Department through completion of a preliminary appraisal form which is available from City and County Childcare Committees.
I believe the roles of the early years educators and school-age childcare practitioners are valuable ones, and they play an important part in supporting children's development, learning and care. In a very competitive labour market and with low levels of unemployment, recruitment and retention is a challenge for all employers. The current Annual Early Years Sector Profile data shows positive signs in relation to the number of educators/practitioners working with children in the sector which has increased by over 8% between 2024 and 2025 and has increased by over 33% since 2022. In Kerry the number of staff working with children has increased by over 25% since 2022.
However, I do acknowledge that many early learning and childcare services report recruitment and retention issues but, in general, these challenges are not caused by insufficient supply of staff, but by high levels of turnover mainly due to low pay and conditions. Pay is one of a number of challenges impacting the early learning and care and school-age childcare workforce. The 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. Through the work of the independent JLC process pay and conditions are improving 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.
For programme year 2026/2027, I recently announced that Core Funding will be increased by 23% to €480 million. An additional €45 million has also been ringfenced from September 2026 to support services in meeting the potential costs of increasing rates of pay, contingent upon new ERO’s being enacted following successful negotiations by the JLC.
In line with the commitment in the Programme for Government to continue to support Employment Regulation Orders to attract and retain early years educators, I met with JLC representatives in April to outline the Government's continued support for the improvement of pay for educators and practitioners working in the sector and the Joint Labour Committee process.
I have been informed that the parties in the Joint Labour Committee have commenced negotiations. The Department continues to support the Joint Labour Committee and the negotiation process by fulfilling data requests which it has received from the JLC members.
A longer-term workforce strategy for the sector is in place: "Nurturing Skills: The Workforce Plan for Early Learning and Care and School-Age Childcare, 2022-2028". Nurturing Skills aims to strengthen the ongoing process of professionalisation for those working in the sector. One of the five "pillars" of Nurturing Skills comprises commitments aimed at supporting recruitment, retention and diversity in the workforce, and it includes actions to raise the profile of careers in the sector.
257. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to urgently provide an enhanced package of health and social care supports for thalidomide survivors; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50283/26]
View answerThe Department of Children, Disability and Equality holds the responsibility for the provision of services to Irish survivors of Thalidomide.
Acknowledged Irish survivors of Thalidomide living in the State, are eligible for health and personal social services from the State.
Government policy since 1975 has been to provide acknowledged Irish Thalidomide survivors with access to a range of health and personal social services and other supports to facilitate independent living.
There are currently 29 acknowledged Irish survivors of Thalidomide eligible for these supports.
Supports include:
• Aids and Appliances
• Car and Housing Adaptations
Access to a full range of primary care, hospital and personal social services
These supports also include an ex-gratia monthly allowance for life. This Department has remit to ensure the provision of ex-gratia monthly payments to Thalidomide survivors under arrangements established through the Department of Health. There are currently 27 recipients of the Thalidomide monthly payments.
The supports provided through the HSE are managed by the National Thalidomide Advocacy Office, which was set up in 2024 to liaise with Irish Thalidomide survivors and assist them to access supports towards their ongoing health and personal social service needs.
The support provided is on a one-to-one basis, tailored to the specific needs of the person and in response to contact received from survivors. It includes identifying and liaising with the relevant key HSE personnel and other agencies, to provide the required health and social service support.
That office supports delivery of the enhanced pathway announced on the 9th of July 2024 by the Taoiseach, Tánaiste, and Minister for Children, Disability and Equality at the time. This announcement encompassed an enhanced package of health and social care supports for Thalidomide survivors.
Co-designed with survivors, enhanced health care, social care and independent living supports are currently available.
The supports include:
Health and Social Care Supports
• Medical Card (administrative basis, regardless of means)
• Access to allied health professionals
• Access to international centres of excellence when expertise not available nationally
• Prophylactic MRI
• Unlimited access to exercise and hydrotherapy facilities
• Independent Living Supports
• Personal Assistant/Home Support/Nursing Hours
• Aids and Appliances
• Car adaptations
• Housing Adaptations
• Customised Clothing
• IT and AI solutions
• Free Travel Pass.
258. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Health whether her Department, the HSE, CHI, CDNTs, CAMHS or primary care psychology services have been consulted by the Department of Education and Youth, NEPS, the Higher Education Authority or any university in relation to any proposed change to the current accreditation or training standards for educational psychologists, including any move away from a requirement for experience across mental health, disability and education settings; the view her Department or the HSE has expressed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49891/26]
View answer259. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Health whether her Department or the HSE has been consulted in relation to NEPS supporting, funding or facilitating educational psychology doctorate placements that are primarily or exclusively school-based; whether any assessment has been made of whether such placements would equip graduates to work in HSE, CHI, CDNT, CAMHS, CAMHS-ID, primary care psychology or assessment of need services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49892/26]
View answer262. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Health the assessment her Department or the HSE has carried out of whether educational psychology training delivered largely through NEPS or school-based placements would equip graduates to work with children under five, non-verbal children, children with acquired brain injury, children with significant mental health needs, children requiring autism diagnostic assessment, and children requiring direct therapeutic intervention; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49895/26]
View answer263. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Health whether her Department, the HSE, CHI, CDNTs, CAMHS, CAMHS-ID, primary care psychology services or assessment of need services have been consulted in relation to any proposal to increase the number of educational psychology doctorate trainees through NEPS-supported placements; whether any concerns have been raised by health or disability services about the implications of such a model for the wider child psychology workforce; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49896/26]
View answer264. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Health whether her Department, the HSE or CHI has received any addendum, briefing note, supplementary documentation or correspondence indicating that educational psychology placements for additional doctorate trainees would be largely supported by NEPS; whether a response was issued by her Department, the HSE or CHI; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49897/26]
View answer265. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Health whether her Department has examined the implications for HSE, CHI, CDNT, CAMHS, CAMHS-ID, primary care psychology and assessment of need services of training a significantly increased number of psychologists through school-based placements; whether there is a risk that public funding will produce graduates whose training is too narrow to work across child health and disability services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49898/26]
View answer266. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Health whether graduates of doctorate programmes with placements largely or exclusively in NEPS or school-based settings would be considered eligible and competent for appointment to HSE child psychology posts, including CDNTs, primary care psychology, CAMHS, CAMHS-ID, CHI and assessment of need services; the discussions that have taken place with the Department of Education and Youth, NEPS, PSI, CORU and universities on this matter; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49888/26]
View answer268. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Health if she is satisfied that any proposed expansion of educational psychology training through NEPS-supported or school-based placements is consistent with the needs of HSE and CHI child health and disability services, having regard to the need for psychologists with competencies across direct therapeutic work, autism assessment, disability, acquired brain injury, preschool children, child and adolescent mental health, and complex developmental presentations; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49913/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 258, 259, 262, 263, 264, 265, 266 and 268 together.
As the Deputy will be aware, CORU is Ireland's multi-profession health and social care regulator. CORU’s role is to protect the public by regulating the health and social care professions designated under the Health and Social Care Professionals Act 2005 (as amended), including setting the standards that health and social care professionals must meet to be eligible for registration and maintaining registers of persons who meet those standards.
The Psychologists Registration Board (PSRB) was established in 2017. The work of the PSRB includes setting the Standards of Proficiency for entry to its register and Criteria for Education and Training Programmes, establishing a Code of Professional Conduct and Ethics that registrants must adhere to, and approving and monitoring education and training programmes.
Regulating a new profession is a complex and lengthy process, requiring careful consideration and preparatory work to ensure that it is effective in protecting the public. Psychology has been a uniquely challenging profession to regulate due to the diversity of its specialisms and the fact that there is no common education pathway or standards for entry to the profession.
A significant body of work has been undertaken by CORU and the PSRB in the last number of years to progress the opening of the psychology registers, including extensive research, public consultation, detailed risk analysis, and the establishment of an expert advisory group to make recommendations on a bespoke regulatory model.
A regulatory model has been developed that will facilitate the protection of the title ‘psychologist’ in Ireland. Regulation will be introduced in two phases. The first phase will see registers opened for clinical, counselling and educational psychologists, with the second phase encompassing all other psychology specialisms.
In preparation for the opening of the three specialist registers, as part of the first phase of introducing regulation, the PSRB has published its pre-registration education and training requirements for entry onto each of the three registers for clinical, counselling and educational psychologists.
For each of the three specialisms, the PRSB has published two key documents:
• Standards of Proficiency: these outline the threshold knowledge and skills required for entry to the register. These standards apply only to new or recent graduates at the time the register opens.
• Criteria for Education and Training Programmes: these set out the systems and processes education providers must implement in the design and management of education and training programmes. They provide assurance that all graduates have achieved all the Standards of Proficiency upon successful completion of an education and training programme.
The PSRB launched a public consultation on draft Standards and Criteria for clinical, counselling, and educational psychologists on 7 October 2024, inviting feedback from a range of stakeholders including members of the profession, education providers, employers, professional bodies and members of the public.
The published Standards and Criteria reflect the input of the nearly 700 individuals who responded to the public consultation process.
The PSRB’s statutory remit is to ensure the competence of registrants to practice safely in any setting where they engage with vulnerable service users. This is inextricably bound with its legal object and remit to ensure protection of the professional title; namely, that all who use the protected title of educational psychologist have the same threshold knowledge, skills and competence to ensure a consistent, safe level of practice. Practice education, as a means of ensuring that graduates have demonstrated achievement of competency at a threshold level is an essential component of an education and training programme equipping future practitioners to work safely upon graduation.
The PSRB’s published requirements for educational psychologists set out that at a minimum practice placements should be undertaken in an education and a health/social care setting. The requirement to undertake a placement in both an education setting, and in a health/social care setting reflects current practice on Education Psychology Doctoral Programmes delivered in the State. The PSRB’s priority is that the threshold Standards of Proficiency protect the public by ensuring that a registrant, no matter their place of employment, can practice safely, competently and autonomously.
The PRSB’s requirements for practice placements sets out the service user groupings with whom students must engage, including children and adolescents in education settings, child and adolescent disability, and adult disability settings. The intent of the PSRB is not to proscribe placements in these settings, but rather the service user groups that a student should engage with over the course of their placements.
Engagement with the Department of Education and Youth/NEPS on placement requirements for course approval for education psychologists has been ongoing since 2024. CORU’s position of requiring multi-sectoral placements has been clearly communicated as necessary from a public protection perspective. This position recognises that training is not intended for a specific sectoral role, but for a profession whose practitioners may operate across both educational and health and social care systems.
Educational psychologists provide a vital service to children and their families across a breath of settings including in schools and other educational settings, CAMHS, Child Disability Network Teams, primary care, and in private practice.
The multi-sectoral placement approach is in the full interests of public, child-centred service delivery, current models of care, and the expansion and optimal utilisation of the psychologist workforce. The existing higher education providers are either already meeting the required standards or committed to doing so.
Significant progress has been made towards opening the registers of clinical, counselling, and educational psychology, and it is anticipated these registers will open next year. CORU and my department are fully committed to delivering regulation of this very important profession.
260. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Health the number of educational psychology trainees currently funded, sponsored or supported by the HSE, CHI or any other health service agency; the contractual obligations attached to such funding; the number of trainees who have sought to withdraw from HSE-funded or health-service-funded arrangements or repay funding in each of the past five years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49893/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
261. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Health the number of psychologists currently employed across HSE child psychology services, including primary care psychology, CDNTs, CAMHS, CAMHS-ID, assessment of need services and CHI; the number of whole-time equivalent vacancies in each service area; the turnover rate in each of the past five years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49894/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
