Written Answers Nos. 356-363
356. Deputy Joe Cooney asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of County Clare children awaiting an assessment of need under the Disability Act 2005, broken down by waiting time. [53841/26]
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 Clare LHOs is for Q1 2026 and shows that 109 applications for assessment of need were overdue for completion at the end of March with 94 applications overdue for more than 3 months.
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, at www.gov.ie/en/department-of-children-disability-and-equality/publications/assessment-of-needs-process-proposed-changes/, 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 nd 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.
357. Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will provide an update on a matter (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53869/26]
View answerThe Department cannot comment in detail on individual cases.
In instances where a fee increase is identified through a fee review process, sanctions will vary depending on the individual circumstances of each case. However, if a determination is made that there has been a breach of the Core Funding rules, a Partner Service has 60 working days to sign a Declaration and carry out remediation of any breach of the Core Funding rules. The Partner Service may be asked to provide evidence of remediation after the 60 days, such as:
• Restored fees to the correct level, if applicable.
• Informed and refunded all parents who have been overcharged the full amount that they have overpaid, or agreed a repayment plan with them, if applicable.
• Updated the relevant Fee Table and Parent Statement for Partner Services on the HIVE, posted them in public locations on the premises, and emailed them to all parents as required by the Core Funding Partner Service Funding Agreement, if applicable.
Failure to provide evidence of remediation may result in the Minister suspending Core Funding to the Partner Service and/or terminating the Core Funding Partner Service Funding Agreement.
Should the Partner Service’s funding be suspended, it may remain suspended until the Department is satisfied that the Partner Service has demonstrated its compliance with the outcome of the Fee Review Process.
Should the Partner Service fail to submit the Declaration and provide evidence that they have carried out the remedial actions by the end of the programme year, any suspended funding may be forfeit.
It is important to note that as Core Funding is an optional scheme, services have the autonomy and business freedom to not participate in or withdraw from Core Funding.
Should a service withdraw from Core Funding the National Fee Review Team cannot enforce any of the remedial actions. However, if the service wishes to re-join Core Funding their funding will be suspended until the service demonstrates its compliance with the Fee Review.
358. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the range of topics covered and the outcome of her discussions in Cork with Members of the European Commission; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53922/26]
View answerIreland’s EU Presidency term began on July 1. It is the culmination of a long process of planning and preparation that has been a major focus across Government.
The meeting with the College of Commissioners took place in Cork on 2-3 July 2026 and represented the first collective engagement between the Government of Ireland and the European Commission during the Ireland’s Presidency term. This provided an important opportunity to strengthen political relationships, establish a shared understanding of Ireland’s Presidency priorities and discuss how we will work with the Commission though our term to ensure we can deliver effectively on our policy objectives to the benefit of citizens in Ireland and across Europe.
During the programme, structured cluster discussions involving Ministers and Commissioners focused on issues such as competitiveness and the single market; agriculture, climate, energy and economic transition; security, external relations, trade and economic security; and values, skills, social cohesion and housing.
As Minister for Children, Disability and Equality, I participated in discussions on values, skills, social cohesion and housing. Ministers and Commissioners exchanged views on the principal legislative and policy initiatives expected to progress during the Presidency, identifying opportunity for cooperation across a broad range of files including labour mobility, housing, AI and democratic resilience.
During the discussion, I emphasised the importance the Irish Presidency will place on the rights for those with disabilities, particularly in the area of assistive technology. I shared that the Irish Presidency will work to progress a range of equality matters during our term, including a work programme on the Equal Treatment Directive and Council Conclusions on equality and competitiveness. I highlighted that the Presidency would ensure young people remained central to policies that effected their lives.
359. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will introduce a national safeguarding authority to ensure improved safeguarding duties, accountability mechanisms and oversight enforcement across sectors and settings for the protection of people living with a disability; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53927/26]
View answerThis is a matter for my cabinet colleague, the Minister for Health.
360. Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she is aware of the disparity whereby childcare providers operating on school grounds may be exempt from commercial rates, while providers delivering the same ECCE, NCS and afterschool services from independent premises are liable; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54241/26]
View answer361. Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her Department has assessed the impact of commercial rates on the financial sustainability of private childcare providers, particularly those whose income is largely derived from State-funded childcare schemes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54242/26]
View answer362. Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she has engaged with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage or Tailte Éireann regarding the treatment of private childcare providers under the commercial rates system; and if she will outline the cross-departmental work underway to ensure equitable treatment of providers. [54243/26]
View answer363. Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will consider supporting legislative or regulatory changes to ensure that private childcare providers delivering ECCE, NCS and afterschool services are not disproportionately burdened by commercial rates; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54244/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 360 to 363, inclusive, together.
I am aware that a number of ECCE-only services have been receiving rates-payable notifications from their Local Authorities.
The Department, and others, have previously advised the sector that ECCE-only services are exempt from paying commercial rates under Paragraph 10, Schedule 4 of the Valuation Act 2001.
Given the importance of early learning and childcare for children, families and communities across the country, I am giving this matter my full attention.
I have engaged with my cabinet colleague, Minister Browne, on a number of occasions, and on foot of this engagement, the Department of Children and the Department of Housing are jointly engaging with the Office of the Attorney General on this matter.
Officials in the Department are also engaging with colleagues in the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage to explore the solutions that might be available to rectify this situation.
I wish to remind the Deputy that the matter of commercial rates payments for early learning and childcare service providers does not fall under the remit of the Department of Children, Disability and Equality and the Department has no role in determining which properties are rateable.
The making of valuations for rating purposes is the sole responsibility of Tailte Éireann, formerly the Commissioner of Valuation. Tailte Éireann falls under the aegis of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. Furthermore, the billing and collection of rates is solely a matter for the relevant local authority. The Department of Children, Disability and Equality has no function in that regard.
With regard to the question of legislative or regulatory change, the relevant legislation, the Valuation Acts 2001 to 2015, comes under the remit of the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage.
As a matter of course, Tailte Éireann examines all properties on their individual merits by reference to the relevant statutory provisions governing the operation of the Act and case law arising from the independent Valuation Tribunal and the Higher Courts.
I look forward to being able to furnish the early learning and childcare sector, and this house, with an update, when this matter has been resolved or has materially evolved.
