Written Answers Nos. 633-654
636. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the measures her Department are taking to ensure that no childcare provider will be adversely affected by a possible reduction in childcare fees; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50973/26]
View answerMy understanding is that the Deputy is enquiring as to the impact of the new maximum fee thresholds to take effect under Core Funding from September of this year, and it is on this understanding that I have responded to the Deputy’s question.
Core Funding is a supply-side grant to early learning and childcare providers towards their operating costs. It is designed to promote affordability for parents and sustainability for providers through increased funding to the sector, paid on a consistent and equitable basis.
When first introduced in 2022, Core Funding had an annual allocation of €259 million, of which €210.8 million was entirely new funding to the sector.
That annual allocation has increased each year since and exceeds €390 million for the fourth, and current, year of Core Funding. This represents an increase of over 50% in Core Funding over three years.
Additional funding being made available in 2026 will see the allocation for Core Funding in the next programme year increase to over €480 million from September 2026. That is an additional €90 million on the current full year allocation, or a 23% increase.
This increased investment will allow for further increases in capacity across the sector, with over €21 million specifically set aside to support Partner Services in adhering to enhanced Core Funding fee management conditions, from September 2026. This brand-new funding will be distributed to all Partner Services through an enhanced Base Rate and will allow most services to maintain the fee freeze while offsetting a portion of the fee income reduction experienced by the minority of services that will be impacted by maximum fee caps. I am conscious of the importance of promoting affordability without compromising the viability of businesses in the sector. That is why the increased funding through the Base Rate will ensure that no service gets left behind on account of keeping their rates affordable for families.
A key condition of receiving the significant State funding that is available through the Scheme requires that a Partner Service adhere to the Core Funding fee management system, which includes a freeze on fees at 2021 levels and fee caps. This is to ensure that the State’s significant investment through the Scheme is not absorbed by unnecessary fee increases.
Fee Caps were first introduced in September 2024. The initial cap on high fees for First-Time Partner Services was incrementally reduced and extended to all new and existing Partner Services from September 2025.
In June 2026, the details of maximum fee caps for all Partner Services in Core Funding from September 2026 were confirmed. This will lower the maximum fees that can be charged by early learning and childcare services which participate in Core Funding. Approximately 12% of services will be required to reduce at least one fee.
Under the new maximum fee caps, the highest possible upfront cost for a typical full day place of 45 hours per week in Band E will reduce from €295 per week to €280 per week. With the maximum National Childcare Scheme universal subsidy this reduces further to €183.70 per week in parental costs.
As part of policy development for the new maximum fee caps, financial impact assessments were undertaken with consideration for annual place hours, average fees and service income-cost relationships. The Department is committed to ongoing engagement in this area, with any future refinements to fee management conditions forming part of the broader annual review of Core Funding policy.
In addition to increased funding, the Department has made changes to improve the sustainability of providers through, for example, targeted measures for small and sessional services, and a fee increase assessment and approval process for services with fees frozen at unsustainably low rates.
There are also wider financial supports available where a service is experiencing financial difficulty or has concerns about their viability. These supports can be accessed through the Department’s case management process, which can be accessed while remaining in Core Funding.
All services have been encouraged to avail of these supports as an alternative to withdrawing from Core Funding and removing the benefit of Core Funding to children and their families.
637. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the steps being taken to ensure that AIM Level 7 applications are determined before the commencement of the ECCE year, given the need for early years providers to recruit and Garda vet additional staff in advance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50995/26]
View answerThe Access and Inclusion Model (AIM) is a model of supports designed to ensure that children with a disability or additional needs can access the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Programme. The goal of AIM is to empower Early Learning and Care (ELC) providers to deliver an inclusive preschool experience, ensuring that every eligible child can meaningfully participate in the ECCE Programme and reap the benefits of high-quality early learning and care through universal and targeted supports.
AIM Level 7 support provides additional funding to ELC providers for a child who requires extra support in an ECCE service. AIM Level 7 funding acts to either reduce the child-to-adult ratio in the room or to fund an extra staff member as a shared resource with other children in the setting. In September of 2024, Level 7 funding was expanded to include an additional 3 hours per day during term time, or 6 hours per day during non-term time.
A redesign of the AIM Level 7 application process is currently being undertaken and this will simplify processes, reduce administrative demands on services, and improve the overall application experience. If a service wishes to access AIM Level 7 supports, they can express their interest by submitting an AIM Level 4 application form. As part of the Level 4 application process, an Early Years Specialist will contact the service provider by phone. During this call, the provider should indicate if they wish to avail of AIM Level 7 supports.
As part of the redesigned process, the level of support allocated to a child will be determined after the AIM Level 4 application has been submitted and Better Start has carried out an initial review of the child’s needs. Preliminary decisions on the level of support, including Level 7 if relevant, determined at the AIM Level 4 application stage have begun issuing to providers since the start of this July.
While employment decisions are a matter for providers, the Scheme Administrator Pobal has confirmed that the preliminary decision is expected to be final, subject to the provider completing a subsequent Level 7 application in August if relevant. This brief application will essentially be a confirmation step to ensure the relevant child registrations, including ECCE and, where applicable, NCS, are in place.
The process differs from the Level 7 application process used previously, but this interim arrangement for this year is delivering approvals within the advised 12-week timeframe. Pobal published an FAQ on the HIVE on 1 July to assist providers, which explains in detail the changes to the Level 7 application process and responds to the queries which have arisen on the interim arrangement including queries on timelines and recruitment. When the new simplified application process is fully operational, AIM Level 7 assessments and decisions will be made in a much shorter timeframe.
638. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to outline the existing staff cohort and existing staff vacancy level at CDNT team 6 central Galway and Galway city east, CDNT team 5 Galway city west, CDNT team 4 and the west Galway CDNT team; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51073/26]
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.
639. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if a capacity assessment will be given to a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51092/26]
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.
640. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to provide an update on the proposed establishment of a dedicated childcare agency; the current status of the proposal; the progress made to date; the expected timeline for its establishment; the functions and responsibilities the agency will have; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51107/26]
View answerOn 29th March 2022 Government accepted the findings of the independent Review of the Early Learning and Childcare Operating Model in Ireland that a dedicated State Agency is the optimal operating model for the early learning and childcare sector for the years ahead.
Significant progress has already been made in advancing this ambitious and transformative reform programme. A Programme Oversight Board was established to oversee this important work. It was comprised of interdepartmental representatives alongside several external experts with experience at senior level in change management, large-scale reform, leadership, governance, public policy, and a knowledge of the sector.
The Department engaged independent consultants Indecon in December 2023, on foot of a competitive procurement process, to undertake an initial phase of research, analysis and stakeholder engagement to inform the design of the Agency. The Department committed to ongoing and extensive consultation with stakeholders as to how best to design and implement the recommendation to establish a new Agency. In December 2023 the first of a series of stakeholder consultation sessions attended by Pobal, City/County Childcare Committee managers, staff and board members along with wider stakeholders in the Early Years sector with the focus on the Agency vision, mission and values. A report has been compiled from these initial consultations and the report has been circulated to the participating stakeholders and published to the Agency web page. Consultation events also took place throughout 2024 with the focus on function mapping for the Agency and mapping of the workforce across the operating model.
Indecon’s work is largely complete and in November 2025 a draft consolidated report was approved in principle by the Agency Programme Oversight Board. Those final edits are being concluded.
In the coming weeks further consultation and engagement with key Government Departments on the findings of the report is planned. This will be in advance of returning to update government, as was committed to in the decision of March 2022.
641. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the breakdown of the current funding streams in childcare; the breakdown of the additional funding provided in Budget 2026, in tabular form; the expected funding required in 2027 to maintain existing levels of service; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51149/26]
View answerThis Department operates a range of Early Learning and Care (ELC) and School Age Childcare (SAC) funding schemes. These funding schemes, including ECCE, NCS, AIM and Core Funding, are administered by Pobal on behalf of the Department. In Budget 2026 the Department secured an additional €149m in funding for Early Learning and Care (ELC) and School Age Childcare (SAC), bringing the total investment in the sector to €1,524m in 2026. This will allow this Department to bring forward a substantial and comprehensive package of developments to achieve significant progress on its policy priorities of affordable, high quality, inclusive and sustainable ELC and SAC.
The Budget allocation in the sector in Ireland increased by 10.8% with €1.37bn allocated for 2025 and €1.524bn allocated for 2026 as set out below:
|
- |
2025 |
2026 |
|
|
€m |
€m |
|
NCS & CCS Savers |
534 |
596 |
|
Core Funding |
353 |
420 |
|
Equal Start |
17 |
22 |
|
ECCE |
269 |
259 |
|
AIM |
81 |
84 |
|
|
|
|
|
Quality & Admin Supports[[1]] |
121 |
143 |
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
1,375 |
1,524 |
Additional funding of €11m (2025) and €11m (2026) was available in respect of International Protection applicants and people coming from Ukraine.
Budget 2027 is a matter impinging on collective Government responsibility and as such the Department cannot provide a response at this time.
[[1]] The Quality & Admin Supports includes the capital allocations of €30m for 2025 and of €44m for 2026.
642. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of separated children seeking international protection being accommodated by or in the care of Tusla; the number of those who are accommodated under section five of the Child Care Act 1991; the number that have an allocated social worker; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51151/26]
View answerAs advised by Tusla on 3 July, the number of separated children seeking international protection being accommodated by or in the care of Tusla is 484. The number of those who are accommodated under Section Five of the Child Care Act 1991 is 327. The number that have an allocated social worker is 253.
As part of Budget 2026, Tusla’s Separated Children Seeking International Protection (SCSIP) services received an additional €51 million. This additional allocation brings the total funding allocated for SCSIP services in 2026 as part of Budget 2026 to €153 million.
Tusla makes every effort to ensure that unaccompanied minors seeking International Protection are safeguarded and receive appropriate care and protection.
643. Deputy Eoin Hayes asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the specific steps beyond the commissioning of reports, that her Department and its agencies have taken to identify the number of residential spaces required for adults with intellectual disabilities for each year from 2027 onwards for each county; the current projected requirement for each county for each of the years 2027 to 2037 inclusive; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51152/26]
View answerThe 2021 Disability Capacity Review to 2032, identified a significant level of under-provision of residential care places, with a projected need for a minimum of circa 100 new residential places every year from 2020 to 2032 arising from changing demographics in the disability population. The Capacity Review estimated that between 2018 and 2032, an extra 3,900 residential places would be required in order to return to levels of provision prior to the beginning of the 2008 recession.
Throughout 2026, the Department of Children, Disability and Equality will work to update the Disability Capacity Review to ensure the latest demographic and service information is used to inform long term planning in specialist disability services.
The 2021 Disability Capacity Review informed the Action Plan for Disability Services 2024-2026, which represents a national strategy for capacity increases and service and policy reform in disability services. The Action Plan seeks to meet extra need over the 2024-2026 period in residential services through around 900 additional residential care places to tackle unmet needs and ensure supply keeps pace with demographic change and 500 new community-based residential care places to replace disability care in large institutional and campus-based settings, with a view to ending that form of provision by 2030.
This Government together with the HSE, acknowledges that demand for residential services is very high. The provision of residential services has come under increasing pressure due to a number of impacting factors such as an increase in individuals seeking access to residential services, changing support needs of service users, recruitment challenges impacting disability services and availability of suitable housing.
In recognition of this demand, the Department of Children, Disability and Equality continues to engage with the HSE, to expand and develop residential services for people with disabilities in line with the budget available. Engagement is also ongoing to improve the process for service users and families to access these residential services.
Residential placements generally respond to residential needs demonstrated on the HSE’s Disability Support Application Management Tool (DSMAT), which provides a list and detailed profiles of people (Adults & Children) who need additional funded supports in each Health Region. Entries to the DSMAT are entered locally by the HSE and represent an indicator of need for people who come forward actively seeking services.
Availability of suitable housing is particularly important in the delivery of residential supports. This Department and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage are working closely with the HSE and local authorities to respond to the need for additional capacity and improve forward planning, including more cost-effective approaches to meeting housing and support needs. This includes setting specific targets in this area in local authority Housing Development Action Plans, currently under development.
In addition to the work underway to provide and expand housing and residential services, the Department of Children, Disability and Equality is undertaking research and progressing policy development throughout 2026, with a view to developing a new policy framework for specialist residential services.
As this question includes service matters, which are the responsibility of the Health Service Executive (HSE), I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly.
644. Deputy Eoin Hayes asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of residential places currently in place for each county, for adults with an intellectual disability, broken down by those provided and resourced by the HSE, Section 38 and 39 bodies, and other State organisations, private or for-profit organisations; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51153/26]
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.
645. Deputy Eoin Hayes asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of residential places provided for adults with an intellectual disability for each of the years 2021 to 2025 inclusive, broken down by those provided and resourced by the HSE, Section 38 and 39 type bodies and other State organisations, and private or for-profit organisations; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51154/26]
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.
646. Deputy Eoin Hayes asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for a breakdown of the State's expenditure on the provision of residential accommodation for each of the years 2021 to 2025 inclusive, broken down by residential accommodation, including the provision of resources by the State or its agencies, and private or for-profit providers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51155/26]
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.
647. Deputy Eoin Hayes asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the specific criteria and guidelines that are used in the planning and allocation of residential accommodation to adults with intellectual disabilities; the details of the steps taken in ascertaining the preference and choices of the adult person to whom accommodation is being provided; the steps taken to ensure ease of access to family members and existing community; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51156/26]
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.
648. Deputy Eoin Hayes asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of residential places provided to adults with intellectual disabilities, broken down between planned and unplanned for each of the year 2021 to 2025 inclusive; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51157/26]
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.
649. Deputy Eoin Hayes asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of residential spaces for adults with an intellectual disability that have been decommissioned or closed by the HSE and Section 38 and Section 39 type organisations for each of the years 2021 to 2025 inclusive; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51158/26]
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.
650. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to consider a review of the enduring power of attorney process to address the reluctance of many legal practitioners to engage with it, to make it more accessible and understandable to the general public; the improvements that could be made to make the process clearer and more efficient; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51168/26]
View answerI thank the Deputy for their question regarding Enduring Powers of Attorney (EPAs) under the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act 2015. EPAs are a vital advance planning tool that enable adults to plan ahead for a time when they may have diminished decision-making capacity, ensuring that a person’s wishes are known and respected.
The Decision Support Service (DSS) has statutory responsibility for the operation of many of the provisions of the 2015 Act including the registration of EPAs. Ensuring that the application system for decision support arrangements is as user-centric and as accessible as possible is a priority for my Department and is central to the work of the DSS.
My Department has had extensive engagement with the legal profession, through the Law Society of Ireland, in respect of the EPA application process. It is the prerogative of any donor to instruct a solicitor in the making of their EPA, although it is important to note that this is not a requirement of the 2015 Act. Solicitors can access the online portal on behalf of their client, should they be engaged to complete the EPA process from end-to-end.
In cases where a solicitor has not been engaged end-to-end, donors have still been able to take up the legal practitioner statement, which is a required supporting document of all EPA applications. 18% of all registered EPAs since commencement have had solicitor assistance, with 82% of EPAs registered having been completed without solicitor assistance.
For those who wish to apply without engaging a solicitor from end-to-end, the dedicated EPA helpdesk established by the DSS in 2024 serves to ensure that individuals who require additional assistance in completing an online EPA application are supported in doing so. Furthermore, in February 2026, the DSS launched a dedicated new website - www.myepa.ie - designed to guide individuals step by step through the process of creating an EPA in a clear and accessible way. The site brings together all relevant information and supports in one place and is intended to assist donors, attorneys, family members and solicitors alike in understanding their options and responsibilities. It also provides guidance on future planning and offers reassurance that support is available throughout the process. This, alongside helpful instructional videos and other guidance material ensures that all adults wishing to plan for the future are supported in doing so. In that regard almost 7,000 EPAs have been registered by the DSS since April 2023, with the approximately 80% of these registered across 2025 and 2026. This demonstrates an increasing awareness of the importance of advance planning, an increasing uptake by adults, and an improved efficiency in the application process.
The 2015 Act requires that a review of the operation and effectiveness of the Act must take place no later than five years after its commencement. That review, which will commence this year, will be extensive, will consider all aspects of the Act, and, most importantly, will be informed by those with lived experiences of the provisions of the Act and by wider stakeholders including the legal profession.
I look forward to continued engagement with all stakeholders to ensure that those who face diminished decision-making capacity are enabled to retain as much autonomy over their lives as possible, and have their wishes documented and respected.
651. Deputy Daniel Ennis asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of people working as childminders in Ireland at present; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51225/26]
View answerChildminders are a hugely important part of early learning and care and school-age childcare provision, and they continue to be the option of choice for many families. There is a considerable lack of clarity about the number of children cared for by childminders, and the total number of childminders working in Ireland today.
This reflects both the lack of administrative data on childminders not registered with Tusla, and the fact that the term ‘childminder’ in some surveys may be used either of someone working in the childminder’s home or of someone working in the child’s home (i.e. a nanny or au pair).
Census 2022 indicated that 15.9% (52,775) of children under 15 years who were in childcare were cared for by non-relative childminders working in the childminder’s home. The number of families affected is smaller than this, as many families have more than one child attending a childminding service.
A survey of Childminding Ireland members completed prior to the publication of the National Action Plan for Childminding indicated that on average childminders working in their own home care for 4 children, when both pre-school and school-age children are counted. On this basis, it is estimated that there are approximately 13,000 non-relative childminders caring for children in the childminder’s home.
652. Deputy Daniel Ennis asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of childminders who have registered with Tusla under the new regulations for childminders; the figure as a percentage of the number of childminders operating in Ireland; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51226/26]
View answerAs of end-May 2026, 179 childminders were registered with Tusla.
There is considerable lack of clarity about the number of children cared for by childminders, and the total number of childminders working in Ireland today. This reflects both the lack of administrative data on childminders not registered with Tusla, and the fact that the term ‘childminder’ in some surveys may be used either of someone working in the childminder’s home or of someone working in the child’s home (i.e. a nanny or au pair).
Census 2022 indicated that 15.9% (52,775) of children under 15 years who were in childcare were cared for by non-relative childminders working in the childminder’s home. The number of families affected is smaller than this, as many families have more than one child attending a childminding service.
A survey of Childminding Ireland members completed prior to the publication of the National Action Plan for Childminding indicated that on average childminders working in their own home care for 4 children, when both pre-school and school-age children are counted. On this basis, it is estimated that there are approximately 13,000 non-relative childminders caring for children in the childminder’s home.
The National Action Plan for Childminding 2021-2028 set out a pathway for the extension of regulation to childminders. A key objective of the National Action Plan for Childminding is to enable parents who use childminders to also benefit from State subsidies through the National Childcare Scheme. The Childcare Support Act 2018, which provides a statutory basis for the National Childcare Scheme, specifies that only Tusla-registered childminders are eligible to participate in the Scheme. The limitation of public funding schemes to Tusla-registered childcare providers helps to ensure that public funding is provided where there is assurance of the quality of provision.
As a result of the commencement of the relevant parts of the Child Care (Amendment) Act 2024 and the Childminding Services Regulations, which came into effect on 30 September 2024, childminders are now able to apply to register with Tusla. The 2024 Act, under which the timeframes are established, provides for a transition period of three years, to September 2027, after which registration is due to become mandatory. This phased approach aims to facilitate the largest possible number of childminders to enter the regulated sector, the sphere of quality assurance, and access to Government subsidies, while recognising the time and supports required for childminders to learn about and prepare for registration.
The regulation of childminding services is critical to the safeguarding of children. The route to registration under the new regulations requires childminders to undertake pre-registration training, as well as meeting certain regulatory requirements including Garda vetting, proof of insurance, first aid certification and child safeguarding training.
653. Deputy Daniel Ennis asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of childminders who have completed a pre-registration course via their local childcare committees; the figure as a percentage of the number of childminders operating in Ireland; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51227/26]
View answerAs of end-May 2026, 814 childminders have completed the Pre-Registration Training.
There is considerable lack of clarity about the number of children cared for by childminders, and the total number of childminders working in Ireland today. This reflects both the lack of administrative data on childminders not registered with Tusla, and the fact that the term ‘childminder’ in some surveys may be used either of someone working in the childminder’s home or of someone working in the child’s home (i.e. a nanny or au pair).
Census 2022 indicated that 15.9% (52,775) of children under 15 years who were in childcare were cared for by non-relative childminders working in the childminder’s home. The number of families affected is smaller than this, as many families have more than one child attending a childminding service.
A survey of Childminding Ireland members completed prior to the publication of the National Action Plan for Childminding indicated that on average childminders working in their own home care for 4 children, when both pre-school and school-age children are counted. On this basis, it is estimated that there are approximately 13,000 non-relative childminders caring for children in the childminder’s home.
The National Action Plan for Childminding 2021-2028 set out a pathway for the extension of regulation to childminders. A key objective of the National Action Plan for Childminding is to enable parents who use childminders to also benefit from State subsidies through the National Childcare Scheme. The Childcare Support Act 2018, which provides a statutory basis for the National Childcare Scheme, specifies that only Tusla-registered childminders are eligible to participate in the Scheme. The limitation of public funding schemes to Tusla-registered childcare providers helps to ensure that public funding is provided where there is assurance of the quality of provision.
As a result of the commencement of the relevant parts of the Child Care (Amendment) Act 2024 and the Childminding Services Regulations, which came into effect on 30 September 2024, childminders are now able to apply to register with Tusla. The 2024 Act, under which the timeframes are established, provides for a transition period of three years, to September 2027, after which registration is due to become mandatory. This phased approach aims to facilitate the largest possible number of childminders to enter the regulated sector, the sphere of quality assurance, and access to Government subsidies, while recognising the time and supports required for childminders to learn about and prepare for registration.
Supports are available for childminders at local level through the City and County Childcare Committees. Each City and County Childcare Committee employs a Childminding Development Officer, who provides a range of supports to local childminders, including the short pre-registration training course. The pre-registration training provides all the information that childminders need to understand what is required to apply to register, and explains the registration process.
654. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to report on a case of a person (details supplied) who is unable to gain access to scheduled respite care; and the date by which they will be provided with scheduled respite care. [51228/26]
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.
