Written Answers Nos. 189-208
189. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to provide the full list of the 29 providers appointed to HSE27399, the national bespoke panel arrangement for the provision of autism diagnostic assessments for children and adolescents; and to provide the HSE health region/lot that each provider is appointed to. [51967/26]
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.
190. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to provide the amounts by which her Department or agencies within the aegis of her Department that has been defrauded as a result of a cyberattack; and the total amount which has been recovered for each of the years 2021 to 2025, and to date in 2026. [51977/26]
View answerThe Department is currently collating the information requested and a reply will issue directly to the Deputy on this matter as soon as possible.
191. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the membership of the National Fee Review Team; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52002/26]
View answerWhere an individual identifies a case of a potential breach of these contractual obligations by a Partner Service, they may seek to have this examined and a conclusion reached through the Core Funding Fee Review Process.
The local City/County Childcare Committee (CCC) can escalate it to the Department’s National Fee Review Team (NFRT). The NFRT is composed of members of Sligo and Donegal County Childcare Committees as well as members of the Department of Children, Disability and Equality’s Sector Development Unit within the Early Years Division.
The primary purpose of the NFRT is to collate information on Fee Review cases at a national level (Stage 1). Once the information has been collated, it will be reviewed in full by a separate function within DCDE (Stage 2). This function will decide on whether a breach of Core Funding Fee Rules has occurred.
192. Deputy Cathy Bennett asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the length of the current wait list for an assessment of need (AON) in Cavan and Monaghan; the timeline for a person to be seen through an AON; the date of applications received are currently being assessed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52093/26]
View answerThe delivery of an effective, efficient Assessment of Need system is a Government priority as it is recognised that there are unacceptable delays in accessing Assessments of Need at present.
It is important at the outset to reiterate that children do not require an Assessment of Need report to access health services, including Primary Care, Children’s Disability Network Teams, Mental Health Services, or education supports. However, demand for Assessments of Need has increased significantly in recent years, reflecting both the increase in population and families exploring all options to access services for their child.
While the HSE do not provide Assessment of Need data by county, data is provided by Regional Health Area and Local Health Office (LHO) area. The most recent data provided by the HSE for Cavan/Monaghan LHO is for Q1 2026 and shows that 578 applications for assessment of need were overdue for completion at the end of March.
The HSE reports that, at a national level, the average duration of the assessment process per report completed in Quarter 1 2026 was 23.81 months. There will likely be regional variations, but the HSE does not provide data at LHO level in relation to the duration of the assessment process. Information on the date of applications received that are currently being assessed is not available at present.
There has been intensive work by the Department and the HSE to address delays in the provision of Assessments of Need to children and their families, and progress is being made. While there is regional variation, overall there has been a notable increase in the number of completed AON reports nationally over the past two years. Over 5,900 reports were completed in 2025 – a 43% increase compared to 2024, and an 85% increase compared to 2023.
In December 2025, Government announced a series of improvements to the Assessment of Need process. This includes legislative and operational changes which will make it more effective and efficient for children and families. Over time, this should lead to a reduction in the waiting time to receive an assessment.
Importantly, the proposed legislative changes will not remove any rights for parents to apply for an Assessment of Need for their child. They will also not alter the six-month timeline in the Act.
The General Scheme of the Disability (Amendment) Bill has been published on the Department’s website. The Joint Committee on Disability Matters has published its report, following pre-legislative scrutiny of the Bill, and the Department is considering its recommendations. An FAQ document has also been published, providing information on Assessment of Need and the proposed changes.
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 of Need reports. This includes the establishment of working groups to address learning and development needs and to develop statutory guidelines.
The HSE continues to progress 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. The model will be rolled out this year and will make it easier for families to be referred to the right service as early as possible, 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 which was launched in May 2026. This will provide a standardised assessment process for autism across primary care, mental health and disability services.
• The creation of eleven new HSE teams, initially, to support assessment processes, including Assessment of Need, providing clinical guidance and administrative supports.
It is intended that these improvements to the AON process will result in a noticeable reduction in waiting times for children and their families across the country.
193. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she is aware of a case (details supplied); and if she will engage with the families affected to ensure childcare costs are affordable. [52122/26]
View answerThe introduction of Core Funding in 2022 brought a significant increase in investment for the sector. €259 million of funding was made available for services in year 1 of the scheme, of which €210.8 million was entirely new funding to the sector.
That annual allocation has increased each year since and has exceeded €390 million for year 4 of the Scheme, which started in September. This represents an increase of over 50% in Core Funding in three years.
I was delighted to announce further investment in Core Funding in Budget 2026. The additional funding being made available in 2026 will see the allocation for Core Funding in the next programme year which begins in September 2026 increase to over €480 million. That is an additional €89.3 million on the current full year allocation, or a 23% increase.
To become a Partner Service and receive Core Funding grant allocations, an approved provider must first enter into a Core Funding Partner Service Funding Agreement with the Department, and in doing so agree to all the terms and conditions of the grant.
Participation in Core Funding is based on a decision by ELC and/or SAC providers to sign a Funding Agreement, and providers have the autonomy to withdraw from or choose not to participate in the scheme.[]
While the Department cannot mandate providers to participate in the Scheme, every effort has been made to carefully design Core Funding to meet the policy objectives including to achieve high levels of participation by providers.[]
Shaping the Future: The Early Years Action Plan, Phase 1 report (published on 17th December 2025) sets out measures to achieve key Programme for Government commitments on the affordability, quality, and accessibility of early learning and care (ELC) and school-age childcare (SAC). The Action Plan adopts a phased approach that enables action to be taken in 2026 while allowing adequate time for a broad public consultation and analysis on longer-term actions. Results of this consultation, as well as additional analysis, will inform Phase 2 of the Action Plan. Phase 2 actions will be published later in 2026 and will be undertaken from 2027 through to the end of 2029.
However, to deliver on the Programme for Government commitment to progressively reduce parental fees to €200 per month, the Phase 1 report of Shaping the Future states that a roadmap will be set out in Phase 2 to ensure that all publicly funded providers are supported to take part in Core Funding.
As noted in the Phase 1 report, this will include measures to reduce the administrative burden for providers of participating in publicly funded schemes.
Phase 2 of Shaping the Future is in development and will be published by year end.[]
The National Childcare Scheme (NCS) is currently available to parents regardless of whether or not the early learning and childcare service their child is attending is participating in Core Funding.
The NCS has undergone a number of enhancements in recent Budgets with the minimum NCS subsidy steadily rising from €0.50 in 2022 to €2.14 in September 2024 alongside extensions to eligibility. Additionally, since September 2024, the NCS has been open to Tusla-registered childminders who wish to participate in the scheme. Families availing of childminders who are participating in the NCS can claim a subsidy towards their costs. Further enhancements to the income-assessed subsidy are being introduced from September 2026, raising the base threshold from €26,000 to €34,000 and the maximum threshold from €60,000 to €68,000, with additional increases to the multiple child discounts.
Improving 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.
The Department continues to support the ongoing development and resourcing of Core Funding which has given rise to a significant expansion of places since the scheme was first introduced. Core Funding, which is in its fourth programme year, funds services based on the number of places available.
This provides stability to services, and reduces the risk associated with opening a new service or expanding an already existing service.
The Government is also supporting the expansion of capacity through capital funding. The Building Blocks Extension Grant Scheme is designed to increase capacity in the 1–3-year-old, pre–Early Childhood Care and Education, age range for full day care. Core Funding Partner Services could apply for capital funding to physically extend their premises or to construct or purchase new premises. The Scheme will deliver up to 1,500 full-day care places for 1- to 3-year-olds.
Following on from the success of the Building Blocks Extension Grant Scheme, a further Building Blocks scheme is open for applications. This round of capital funding will focus on funding 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. Details can be found here: https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-children-disability-and-equality/publications/building-blocks-extension-scheme-phase-2/
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.
194. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether her Department has undertaken any assessment of the number of families whose childcare provider is not participating in the core funding scheme and who therefore do not benefit from recent reductions in childcare fees; whether the impact of this on affordability and access to childcare has been assessed, including in rapidly growing areas such as North Dublin; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52136/26]
View answerThe National Childcare Scheme (NCS) is currently available to parents regardless of whether or not the early learning and childcare service their child is attending is participating in Core Funding.
The NCS has undergone a number of enhancements in recent Budgets with the minimum NCS subsidy steadily rising from €0.50 in 2022 to €2.14 in September 2024 alongside extensions to eligibility. Additionally, since September 2024, the NCS has been open to Tusla-registered childminders who wish to participate in the scheme. Families availing of childminders who are participating in the NCS can claim a subsidy towards their costs. Further enhancements to the income-assessed subsidy are being introduced from September 2026, raising the base threshold from €26,000 to €34,000 and the maximum threshold from €60,000 to €68,000, with additional increases to the multiple child discounts[] .
The introduction of Core Funding in 2022 brought a significant increase in investment for the sector. €259 million of funding was made available for services in year 1 of the scheme, of which €210.8 million was entirely new funding to the sector.
That annual allocation has increased each year since and has exceeded €390 million for year 4 of the Scheme, which started in September 2025. This represents an increase of over 50% in Core Funding in three years.
I was delighted to announce further investment in Core Funding in Budget 2026. The additional funding being made available in 2026 will see the allocation for Core Funding in the next programme year which begins in September 2026 increase to over €480 million. That is an additional €89.3 million on the current full year allocation, or a 23% increase.
While the Department cannot mandate providers to participate in the Scheme, every effort has been made to carefully design Core Funding to meet the policy objectives including achieving high levels of participation by providers.
Shaping the Future: The Early Years Action Plan, Phase 1 report (published on 17th December 2025) sets out measures to achieve key Programme for Government commitments on the affordability, quality, and accessibility of early learning and care (ELC) and school-age childcare (SAC). The Action Plan adopts a phased approach that enables action to be taken in 2026 while allowing adequate time for a broad public consultation and analysis on longer-term actions. Results of this consultation, as well as additional analysis, will inform Phase 2 of the Action Plan. Phase 2 actions will be published later in 2026 and will be undertaken from 2027 through to the end of 2029.
However, to deliver on the Programme for Government commitment to progressively reduce parental fees to €200 per month, the Phase 1 report of Shaping the Future states that a roadmap will be set out in Phase 2 to ensure that all publicly funded providers are supported to take part in Core Funding.
As noted in the Phase 1 report, this will include measures to reduce the administrative burden for providers of participating in publicly funded schemes.
Phase 2 of Shaping the Future is in development and will be published by year end.
Improving 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.
The Department continues to support the ongoing development and resourcing of Core Funding which has given rise to a significant expansion of places since the scheme was first introduced. Core Funding, which is in its fourth programme year, funds services based on the number of places available.
This provides stability to services, and reduces the risk associated with opening a new service or expanding an already existing service.
The Government is also supporting the expansion of capacity through capital funding. The Building Blocks Extension Grant Scheme is designed to increase capacity in the 1–3-year-old, pre–Early Childhood Care and Education, age range for full day care. Core Funding Partner Services could apply for capital funding to physically extend their premises or to construct or purchase new premises. The Scheme will deliver up to 1,500 full-day care places for 1- to 3-year-olds.
Following on from the success of the Building Blocks Extension Grant Scheme, a further Building Blocks scheme is open for applications. This round of capital funding will focus on funding 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. Details can be found here: https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-children-disability-and-equality/publications/building-blocks-extension-scheme-phase-2/
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.
195. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether her Department is considering changes to the core funding scheme to facilitate the participation of childcare providers that previously withdrew due to concerns regarding fee caps and the financial sustainability of the scheme; whether measures are under consideration to ensure that parents attending such services can benefit from Government childcare affordability supports; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52138/26]
View answerSince Core Funding was introduced, its effectiveness has been subject to ongoing assessment, which has facilitated the iterative evolution of this scheme.
An evaluation of the first year of Core Funding and the development of an evaluation framework for Core Funding is currently underway. This project will examine the early implementation of Core Funding and make recommendations for future evaluations of the grant supporting efficient and expedient reviews of subsequent years of the scheme.
While the Department cannot mandate providers to participate in the Core Funding Scheme, every effort has been made to carefully design Core Funding to meet the policy objectives including to achieve high levels of participation by providers, as reflected in the growth of State investment in the Scheme.
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 beginning in 2022 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.
Further investment in Core Funding was announced in Budget 2026. The additional funding being made available will see the allocation for Core Funding in the next programme year, which starts in September 2026, increase to over €480 million. This represents an increase of over €90 million, or 23%, on the current full year allocation. This included €21 million in funding dedicated to support Partner Services in adhering to the Core Funding fee management conditions from September 2026.
Adherence to the Core Funding fee management system is a primary condition of receiving the significant State funding that is available through the scheme. The fee management system requires compliance with the fee freeze and maximum 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, applying only to First-Time Partner Services, meaning services that were contracting to the scheme for the first time in year 3 of Core Funding (September 2024 – August 2025). Fee caps were applied to all Partner Services from September 2025. The cap was applied only to the highest fees charged to parents. The fee cap has gradually been reduced in line with the goal to achieve the ongoing policy towards the standardisation of fees charged to parents and of income received by Partner Services.
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.
The Department is conscious of the importance of promoting affordability for parents without compromising the viability of businesses in the sector, and appropriate safeguards are carefully considered during planning for new developments. The maximum fee cap and increased State investment from Budget 2026 are important steps towards the Government’s commitment to progressively reduce the cost of early learning and childcare to €200 per month per child during the lifetimes of the Government.
In addition to the year-on-year increases in the Core Funding allocation, 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.
Moreover, the annual changes to the allocation model and in the conditions attached to the funding has ensured the Scheme remains responsive, balancing the needs of providers while seeking also to meet a range of other objectives. Among these objectives is ensuring taxpayers’ money is being used in a way that sustains services while not excessively increasing their private profit.
The Department will explore further changes based on the operation of year 5 of the Scheme as well as stakeholder input and income and cost data from providers. The Department will continue to engage with the sector and continue to develop the scheme so that it can continue to see the high uptake levels it has seen this year, and indeed since it was launched in 2022.
The NCS has undergone a number of enhancements in recent Budgets with the minimum NCS subsidy steadily rising from €0.50 in 2022 to €2.14 in September 2024 alongside extensions to eligibility. Additionally, since September 2024, the NCS has been open to Tusla-registered childminders who wish to participate in the scheme. Families availing of childminders who are participating in the NCS can claim a subsidy towards their costs. Further enhancements to the income-assessed subsidy are being introduced from September 2026, raising the base threshold from €26,000 to €34,000 and the maximum threshold from €60,000 to €68,000, with additional increases to the multiple child discounts.
Shaping the Future: The Early Years Action Plan, Phase 1 report (published on the 17 of December 2025) sets out measures to achieve key Programme for Government commitments on the affordability, quality, and accessibility of early learning and care and school-age childcare. The Action Plan adopts a phased approach that enables action to be taken in 2026 while allowing adequate time for a broad public consultation and analysis on longer-term actions, which will be set out in a second report to be published by the end of 2026.
Currently, services that provide the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme and/or the National Childcare Scheme (NCS) are not required to take part in Core Funding, reducing the impact of the NCS as some families are not benefiting from the fee-control measures (fee-freeze and fee caps) or additional funding for quality provision that is provided by Core Funding. This will also be the case for the coming programme year 2026/2027.
However, the Phase 1 report of Shaping the Future states that a roadmap will be set out for Phase 2 to ensure that all publicly funded providers are supported to take part in Core Funding.
As noted in the Phase 1 report, this will include measures to reduce the administrative burden for providers of participating in publicly funded schemes.
Phase 2 of Shaping the Future is in development and will be published by year end.
196. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will ensure that measures are implemented without delay to improve inadequate services and put in place adequate residential places and supports for persons with an intellectual disability; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52153/26]
View answerAs this question refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly.
197. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will give detailed consideration to the issues raised in the 2027 pre-Budget submission of a national association (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52164/26]
View answerFoster carers play a vital and valued role in the care of the most vulnerable children in our society. Foster care is the preferred option for children who cannot live with their family of origin, and foster carers provide a safe, secure and stable home environment for these vulnerable children and young people.
I have met with a number of foster care stakeholder bodies since becoming Minister for Children, including the association referenced by the Deputy, and I am keenly aware of the current challenges facing the sector. As Minister I fully intend to prioritise foster care and ensure that we build upon the suite of supports of which foster carers can avail.
I can also confirm that work is underway within the Department on the development of a National Policy Framework for Alternative Care, which will deliver on a Programme for Government commitment to develop a national plan on alternative care. Officials in the Department are developing this Framework on the basis of evidence and robust consultation with stakeholders, including foster carers, their representative bodies, children, care experienced individuals, and the wider public.
198. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her Department intends to operate a fee increase assessment process for the programme year 2026/2027; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52255/26]
View answerCore Funding is a supply-side grant to early learning and childcare providers towards their operating costs, designed to promote affordability for parents and sustainability for providers through increased funding to the sector.
When first introduced in 2022, Core Funding had an annual allocation of €259 million; €210.8 million of which was entirely new funding to the sector. That annual allocation has increased each year since and has exceeded €390 million for the current fourth year of the Scheme. This represents an increase of over 50% in Core Funding in three years.
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. This approach to stabilising fee rates in the sector is in line with the recommendations outlined in Partnership for the Public Good, the Expert Group report which was accepted by all of Government in December 2021.
The Department is conscious of the importance of promoting affordability for parents without compromising the viability of businesses in the sector, and appropriate safeguards are carefully considered during planning for any new developments.
In addition to the year-on-year increases in the Core Funding allocation, 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.
The Fee Increase Assessment process required applicant services to demonstrate an objective case for a fee increase through submission of financial and operational data, which was then subject to a standard unit-cost analysis by the Department. This process opened on 31 July 2024, and closed on 29 November 2024.
The Core Funding Partner Service Funding Agreement allows for the recommencement of a further Fee Increase Assessment-type exercise, subject to Ministerial discretion. The details of this undertaking are being developed by the Department and will be made available to the sector once finalised.
The allocation for Core Funding’s fifth programme year will include €21.4m in brand new full-year funding to support services to maintain fee management conditions, such as the fee freeze and new maximum fee caps supporting affordability for parents. This will guarantee that Core Funding’s monetary protections will continue to be passed on to families while ensuring sustainability and stability for the sector.
Partner Services facing sustainability concerns can also avail of supports through the Department’s established case management process, through which local City and County Childcare Committees and Pobal work together to assess and provide support including financial support to services experiencing difficulties.
All services are encouraged to avail of these supports if they are facing difficulties with the sustainability of their business. Contact details for the CCCs can be found at the [City and County Childcare Committees] page on gov.ie.
199. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the key measures taken to improve disability services since January 2025; her priorities for same for the rest of 2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52955/26]
View answerThe Deputy may wish to be aware that the information requested will be comprehended by the Department's response to PQ 51938/26, Dáil question number 187 and a reply will issue directly to the Deputy on this matter as soon as possible.
200. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Health if the HSE has issued any national, regional or local instruction, circular, operational guidance or other direction since 1 January 2026 restricting access to new or increased home support hours for older people or people with disabilities; if so, to provide copies of all such documents; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51897/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
201. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Health the number of applications for new home support hours, additional home support hours, or reassessments that have been refused, deferred, or approved at a lower level than recommended by the assessing clinician in each HSE Health Region since 1 January 2026; the reason recorded in each case; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51898/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
202. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Health whether it is now HSE policy in any health region that home support services should be limited to persons requiring palliative or end-of-life care, persons at immediate risk of hospital admission, or other exceptional categories; if so, the criteria applying in each health region and the date on which they came into effect; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51899/26]
View answerAs this is an operational matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
203. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Health the number of persons assessed as requiring home support who, at the latest available date, are awaiting a new home support package; an increase in home support hours; and commencement of an approved package, broken down by HSE Health Region and by priority category assigned by the HSE. [51900/26]
View answerAs this is an operational matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
204. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Health whether any HSE Health Region has exhausted, or is projected to exhaust, its allocated home support budget during 2026; whether any financial control measures have been introduced as a consequence; and if she will provide, by Health Region, the allocated budget, expenditure to date, projected year-end expenditure and estimated funding shortfall. [51901/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
205. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Health the number of delayed discharges currently attributable, in whole or in part, to the unavailability of home support services, broken down by hospital and HSE Health Region; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51902/26]
View answerAs this is an operational matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
206. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Health the approved whole-time equivalent complement, filled posts and vacancies for HSE-employed home support workers in each HSE Health Region at the latest available date, together with the number of hours of home support unavailable due to staff shortages. [51903/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
207. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Health whether clinical recommendations regarding home support hours may be reduced or declined for budgetary or resource reasons notwithstanding an assessed care need; if so, the policy basis for this practice; the number of occasions on which this has occurred during 2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51904/26]
View answerThe budget for home support in 2026 was the largest ever at circa €914 million, increasing by nearly €76 million on Budget 2025 and represents an increased investment of over 87% when compared to the 2020 budget of €487m.
More home support is being delivered than has ever been delivered before. Approximately 26.7 million hours will be delivered this year, representing a 43% increase in targeted hours since 2020. Currently the waiting list for these services is predominantly due to the shortage of care workers to deliver services. Addressing this shortage is a priority for Government.
The Home Support Service is managed by regional Home Support Management Teams within available resources to ensure that this key service is available at the required times, in a flexible way and at the appropriate standard to support clients’ assessed needs. Those assessed and waiting on either new or additional service are prioritised based on their individual assessed needs and within the resources available across the Health Region. The HSE has confirmed that Priority is given to those in the community with acute needs.
Additionally, I would like to advise that the HSE has confirmed that there has been no changes to the processing of referrals or provision of Home Support/Home Care Services as reported for the CHO7 area or in the wider Heath Region.
208. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Health the key measures taken to improve cancer care since January 2025; her priorities for same for the rest of 2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51930/26]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
