Tuesday, 7 Oct 2025

Written Answers Nos. 535-546

• Díospóireachtaí
• Aimsigh díospóireacht
  • Díospóireachtaí na Dála
  • Díospóireachtaí an tSeanaid
  • Díospóireachtaí Coiste
• Aimsigh vótáil
  • Vótálacha na Dála
  • Vótálacha an tSeanaid
  • Vótálacha Coiste
• Ceisteanna Parlaiminte
  • Ceisteanna scríofa
  • Ceisteanna ó bhéal
• Leideanna cuardaigh
• Nuair a bhíonn tionchar tromchúiseach ag aithrisí

Health Services Waiting Lists

Ceisteanna (535)

Martin Daly

Ceist:

535. Deputy Martin Daly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of people on the occupational therapy first-time assessment waiting list and within that, the numbers waiting less than four months; the number waiting four to 12 months and the number waiting more than 12 months; and if she would indicate also for each category the numbers waiting aged nought to four years, five to 17 years, 18 to 64 years and 65-plus for each local health area as of 1 October 2025 or the latest date available, in tabular form. [53646/25]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Children, Disability and Equality

As 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.

Assisted Decision-Making

Ceisteanna (536, 537)

Barry Ward

Ceist:

536. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 2408 of 29 July 2025, the position regarding the work ongoing with various groups (details supplied) to address their concerns regarding the decision support service; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53647/25]

Barry Ward

Ceist:

537. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her attention has been drawn to the comments of the President of the High Court in relation to decision support service (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53648/25]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Children, Disability and Equality

I propose to take Questions Nos. 536 and 537 together.

The Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act 2015 marked a milestone moment in Ireland, bringing about an end to wardship in the State for adults, by repealing the Lunacy Regulation (Ireland) Act 1871 and replacing the wards of court system with the new process for appointing tiered decision support arrangements that is now in place.

The abolition of wardship and the move towards a rights-based model of tiered supports is a landmark legal reform in how Ireland approaches persons with capacity difficulties, however, it has also necessitated change and reform on a significant scale and I recognise that this transition has caused a degree of concern amongst some wards, committees of wards and other stakeholders. My officials have met with stakeholders and will continue to engage to understand and address those concerns.

As outlined in my response to Parliamentary Question No. 2408 of the 29th of July, the Office of the Wards of Court has responsibility for managing the discharge from wardship process. The Decision Support Service has collaborated with colleagues in the Office of Wards of Court and the Office of the General Solicitor to provide information and assistance for the benefit of wards, their families and committees and for professionals. This includes information about post-wardship supports and potential future engagement with the Decision Support Service following discharge from wardship.

As part of its statutory functions to promote awareness and understanding about the 2015 Act generally, the Decision Support Service has published information on its website at: decisionsupportservice.ie/resources/wards-court, with links to other useful resources

The Courts Service website also contains useful information on the discharge process.

My Department will continue to work to address the concerns of wards, their committees and wider stakeholders as wards move to the more progressive, rights-based system of supported decision-making.

Question No. 537 answered with Question No. 536.

Assisted Decision-Making

Ceisteanna (538)

Barry Ward

Ceist:

538. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 2408 of 29 July 2025, to detail the reports on the monitoring and oversight taking place since April 2025 regarding the transfer of wards of courts to the decision support service; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53649/25]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Children, Disability and Equality

I thank the Deputy for their question regarding the discharge of all wards of court from wardship and their transition to appropriate decision support arrangements under the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act, 2015 and under the supervision of the Decision Support Service (DSS).

Under Part 6 of the 2015 Act, the wardship court is required to discharge all wards of court. While neither my Department nor the DSS have a direct role in this discharge process, my Department has engaged extensively with the Courts Service and the Wards of Courts Office since commencement of the Act in April 2023.

There are three possible outcomes for an adult ward upon discharge from wardship. They may have a decision-making representation order put in place which enables a decision-making representative to take decisions on behalf of the relevant person, in line with the relevant person’s known will and preference; a co-decision-making agreement may be put in place, which enables a co-decision-maker to jointly make decisions with the relevant person; or the ward may be fully discharged if it is deemed by the wardship court that they do not lack capacity.

The DSS registers, oversees and supervises decision support arrangements to ensure that they are operating as intended. As part of this oversight and supervisory function, the DSS requires that annual reports be submitted by decision supporters to ensure they are acting within the scope of the decision support arrangement and with regard to the adult's known will and preferences. A complaints mechanism is also available should there be concerns about the operation of an arrangement.

My Department will continue to engage with the Courts Service, the DSS, and other stakeholders regarding the transfer of wards from wardship and into the new progressive system of decision support arrangements.

Mother and Baby Homes

Ceisteanna (539)

Richard Boyd Barrett

Ceist:

539. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether she will consider a location (details supplied) to be equivalent to a mother and baby institution for the purposes of determining eligibility to receive a financial award under the mother and baby institutions payment scheme, where an individual spent time at both this location and at a scheduled institution, but insufficient time at the latter to qualify for an award. [53665/25]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Children, Disability and Equality

The Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme provides payments and health benefits to people who spent time in any of the Mother and Baby or County Home Institutions that were identified by the Mother and Baby Homes Commission of Investigation as having a main function of providing sheltered and supervised ante and post-natal facilities to single mothers and their children. The institutions covered by the Payment Scheme are set out in Schedule 1 to the Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Act 2023.

Chapter 2 of the Social History section of the Commission of Investigation report - www.gov.ie/en/publication/89e43-chapter-2-institutions/ - details the different types of institutions that existed and whether they could be considered Mother and Baby Institutions. St Clare's is described as an adoption society that is associated with St Joseph's, Stamullen, which is listed as a residential children's home. It did not provide ante and post-natal facilities, and therefore is not included in the Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme.

The Government recognises that there are people who suffered stigma, trauma and abuse in other institutions. If it were to come to light that an institution, in which the State had a regulatory or inspection function, fulfilled a similar function with regard to single women and their children as those included in the Payment Scheme, section 49 of the Act provides that the Minister, with the consent of the Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform, may insert an additional institution into the Schedule.

It should be noted that the Payment Scheme is just one of a large suite of actions being undertaken to respond to the legacy of these institutions under the Action Plan for Survivors and Former Residents of Mother and Baby and County Home Institutions. For those who spent shorter periods of time in institutions as young children, the overwhelming priority need which has been expressed by survivors has been access to records. As of 29th September 2025, under the Birth Information and Tracing Act, the Adoption Authority of Ireland and Tusla have completed over 16,700 applications for information. All applications are processed in accordance with statutory timeframes.

Other actions in the Action Plan include the provision of counselling supports, the services of the Special Advocate, both already in place, as well as the ongoing development of a National Centre for Research and Remembrance.

Childcare Services

Ceisteanna (540)

Duncan Smith

Ceist:

540. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the policy for the cap on childcare fees for parents whose children attend facilities for less than 50 hours per week (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53669/25]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Children, Disability and Equality

In June, the Department confirmed the introduction of maximum fee caps for all Partner Services in Core Funding from September 2025. These new maximum fee caps will place a limit on the fees that can be charged across all types of provision. This will reduce costs for families who are facing the highest fees across the country, while promoting fairness in the market by addressing fee income disparity.

Core Funding is a supply-side grant to early learning and childcare providers towards their operating costs. It is designed to deliver sustainability for providers through increased funding to the sector, paid on a consistent and equitable basis.

Adherence to the Core Funding fee management system is a primary condition of receiving the significant State funding that is available through the scheme, which has increased from €259 million in year 1 up to €390 million which is currently available for year 4. The fee management system requires compliance with the fee freeze and the maximum fee caps.

Fee caps were first introduced in September 2024, applying initially 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). It was clearly signalled in communications circulated to the sector in July 2024 and in the 2024/2025 Core Funding Partner Service Funding Agreement that fee caps would apply to all Partner Services from September 2025.

The new maximum fee cap and increased State investment 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 lifetime of the Government.

The maximum fee caps are facilitated by the Common Fee Structure, which organises Service Types by weekly hours into six Fee Bands, from Band A (less than 10 hours) up to Band F (50 hours or more).

Fee Band	Hours per week purchased under fee options	Maximum allowable fee for Partner Services
Fee Band	Hours per week purchased under fee options	Maximum allowable fee for Partner Services
A	Less than 10 hours	€59
B	Between 10 hours and 19 hours 59 minutes	€118
C	Between 20 hours and 29 hours 59 minutes	€177
D	Between 30 hours and 39 hours 59 minutes	€236
E	Between 40 hours and 49 hours 59 minutes	€295
F	50 hours or more	€354

Under these new fee caps for year 4, the maximum fee for a full day place – of between 40-50 hours per week, the most common full day care operating hours – can be no more than €295 per week (before State subsidies under the National Childcare Scheme and the ECCE programme are deducted). A parent being charged the maximum permissible fee of €295 per week for a 40-50 hour full day care place would be entitled to receive the universal National Childcare Scheme subsidy of €96.30, meaning their own co-payment would be no more than €198.70 per week.

The hours per week and associated maximum fee at each Fee Band refer to the care purchased by a parent for their child on a weekly basis. Fees charged to a parent should be based on the hours that were agreed between the parent and the service, not the maximum hours that are potentially available.

Parents experiencing difficulty in relation to their early learning and childcare needs should contact their local City/County Childcare Committee for assistance. Contact details for the City/County Childcare Committee may be found at: www.gov.ie/en/department-of-children-disability-and-equality/publications/city-and-county-childcare-committees

If someone has concerns about a potential breach of Core Funding fee management conditions by a Partner Service, which has occurred during the 2025/2026 Programme Year, they may seek to have this examined and a conclusion reached through the Core Funding Fee Review process.

The first point of contact before any Fee Review Stage is initiated, is with your local CCC. If your local CCC receives a query where a potential fee increase is raised, they can get this examined through the Core Funding Fee Review Process. Further detail on this process is available in the Guidelines on Fee Management section on the Early Years Hive: Guidelines on Fee Management - Service Provider Portal.

Family Resource Centres

Ceisteanna (541)

Carol Nolan

Ceist:

541. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the supports she is providing for family resource centres; if she will commit to delivering requests from the Family Resource Centre Forum which is calling for Budget 2026 to include €240,000 core funding for each of the 121 family resource centres, joint TUSLA-HSE investment in counselling services, dedicated capital funding for infrastructure and sustainability; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53823/25]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Children, Disability and Equality

I can inform the Deputy that the Department allocates core funding for the Family Resource Centre Programme through Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. Tusla administers the Family Resource Centre Programme, which supports members throughout the country. The core funding allocation is standardised across the Family Resource Centre Programme, and principally covers the salaries of staff, along with contributing towards a centre’s operational costs. This allows for the delivery of essential family support services, in line with Tusla’s national priorities.

Family Resource Centres play a pivotal role in so many communities across the country, where they provide a comprehensive range of services tailored to individual community needs. In addition to core funding, it is important to note that Family Resource Centres may draw on various sources of funding provided by other Government Departments, agencies and private sources. Such funding can allow the centres to extend the scope and reach of their services.

A funding equalisation scheme for the Family Resource Centre Programme was initiated by the Department in 2024. The scheme ensures that all Programme members receive minimum core funding of at least €160,000 from 2025 onwards. As part of yesterday's budget for 2026 this minimum core funding will now rise to €180,000 from January 2026.

In recognition of the importance of the Family Resource Centre Programme, the Department received additional funding, as part of Budget 2025, to allow the Programme to grow from 121 members to 126 members in 2025. This is the first expansion of the Programme since 2018. The five new members of the Programme were announced by me on 29th August. They are based in Dublin, Galway, Kildare, Louth and Monaghan. In yesterday's budget, I was pleased to announce a further 10 members will join the programme in 2026.

There is a Programme for Government commitment to work to increase funding and expand the capacity and network of Family Resource Centres, and this is something I will engage on over the lifetime of this Government. The addition of five new services to the Programme, and the Programme for Government commitment to its expansion, will see more people benefitting from the many positives that Family Resource Centres can bring to communities.

Funding for counselling services is administered by Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. There are no plans to jointly fund such services in Family Resource Centres in collaboration with the Health Service Executive. Appendix 8 of the most recent Tusla Annual Report records payments to Family Support Services Counselling providers around the country. Many of these providers are Family Resource Centres, offering counselling and therapeutic services at no to low-cost for the communities that they serve.

Building on Family Support Services Counselling funding, in 2025 my Department secured an additional €1.5 million – formerly allocated under Dormant Accounts – for counselling, psychotherapy and therapeutic services to children and young people. A significant portion of this funding was allocated to Family Resource Centres, to allow them to continue their important work of providing counselling and therapeutic services in the community. The funding helps to address unmet need and will reduce waiting lists for community-based counselling services.

In 2024, Clinical and Therapeutic Lead posts were established in eight FRCs around the country, to ensure that there is a Clinical and Therapeutic Lead in all six Tusla regions. I understand that this initiative is working very well. The focus of the role includes providing clinical leadership, ensuring that quality services are developed and adapted to meet emerging and presenting needs in the region, and monitoring standards regarding clinical practice and good governance.

In relation to capital funding, neither the Department nor Tusla currently have capital funding to support the building of new or refurbishment or extension of existing Family Resource Centres. Tusla does not have a dedicated budget for capital or building works for third party organisations such as Family Resource Centres. I would suggest that the local County or City Council be considered as a starting point in the context of any capital funding requests.

Social Welfare Eligibility

Ceisteanna (542)

Barry Heneghan

Ceist:

542. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will consider removing the means test as a qualifying criterion for blind welfare allowance, in recognition of the additional financial burden experienced by people who are blind or vision impaired; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53833/25]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Children, Disability and Equality

A key objective of this Department and the system as a whole, is to ensure that public monies are used as effectively and efficiently as possible. This also means that funding is provided to those with the highest level of need. Means testing supports the targeted allocation of funding along this principle. It also ensures that the scheme remains in line with other related Department of Social Protection schemes.

Once the applicant meets the clinical vision parameters, persons may qualify for Supplementary Blind Welfare Allowance if they are getting the Blind Pension from the Department of Social Protection (DSP).

Persons may also qualify for the Supplementary Blind Welfare Allowance if they get an income maintenance payment from the DSP, or an equivalent social security payment from another country.

At this time this Department has no plans to change the qualifying criteria for the Blind Welfare Allowance in order to keep it in line with other DSP payments.

Family Support Services

Ceisteanna (543)

Barry Heneghan

Ceist:

543. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the locations within Dublin 5, 13 and 17 where young parent support programmes are located, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53844/25]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Children, Disability and Equality

Tusla has shared the following response with my office:

• With co financing from the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+), the Department through its National Model of Parenting Support Services, in partnership with Tusla and Treoir, has worked to transition and expand the Teen Parent Support Programme (TPSP), into the Young Parent Support Programme (YPSP).

• Through this expansion, the 11 existing TPSP sites have received additional funding to either increase the age range from 18-24 years of age and/or expand the catchment reach of their programme.

• Through this funding six new YPSP sites have been established.

• The selection of the new sites followed detailed analysis of the births to young parents under 24, in conjunction with the availability of other parenting supports in those areas.

Below is a full list of YPSP sites under the current programme.

Doras Bui-YPSP Coolock, is located in Dublin 17. There are no YPSP sites in Dublin 5 or 13.

ORGANISATION	YPSP AREA	EXPANSION/NEW SITE
Doras Bui-YPSP Coolock	Dublin 17	Expansion
Barnardos-YPSP Dublin Southwest	Dublin 22	Expansion
Barnardos-YPSP Finglas	Dublin 11	Expansion
Anew-D15	Dublin 15	New
Familibase-YPSP Ballyfermot/bluebell/Inchicore	Dublin 10	Expansion
Barnardos-YPSP, Clondalkin	Dublin 22	New
St Catherines-YPSP Carlow/Kilkenny YPSP	Carlow	Expansion
Barnardos-YPSP Clare	Clare	New
Childhood Matters-YPSP Cork	Cork	Expansion
Foróige-Donegal YPSP	Co. Donegal	Expansion
Galway University Hospital-YPSP Galway	Galway	Expansion-TBC
Foróige-YPSP Kildare	Kildare	New
Limerick Social Service Council-YPSP Limerick	Limerick	Expansion
Tusla-YPSP Louth	Louth	Expansion
HYLS-YPSP Sligo/Leitrim/West Cavan YPSP	Leitrim	New
Barnardos YPSP Westmeath/Longford	Mullingar	New
Barnardos-YPSP Wexford	Wexford	Expansion

Health Services Waiting Lists

Ceisteanna (544)

Barry Heneghan

Ceist:

544. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the average waiting time for an occupational therapist to make an assessment for a housing adaptation within CHO 9 area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53845/25]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Children, Disability and Equality

This is a matter for the Local Authorities.

Childcare Services

Ceisteanna (545)

Shane Moynihan

Ceist:

545. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for an update on the progress being made in relation to reviewing the 2001 planning guidelines for childcare facilities; if an audit of facilities granted planning permission to date would provide important insights into their effectiveness as part of this; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53866/25]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Children, Disability and Equality

The 2001 Planning Guidelines for Local Authorities on Early Learning and Childcare Settings were issued under section 28 of the Planning and Development Act 2000.

The Guidelines are intended to ensure a consistent approach to the treatment of planning applications in respect to the land use planning aspects of early learning and childcare provision.

The Programme for Government commits to reviewing the 2001 Childcare Facilities Guidelines for Planning Authorities to ensure early learning and childcare spaces are provided and put into use.

The 2024 Planning and Development Act and the publication of the National Planning Framework now provide a strong basis from which to pursue this work.

An Early Learning and Childcare Planning Matters Working Group, with officials from this Department; the Department of Housing, Local Government, and Heritage; and the Department of Education and Youth, was established in 2024 and has met on a number of occasions in 2024 and 2025.

Meetings have been held since summer 2025 with members of the working group with officials from different local authorities who were nominated by the City and County Managers Association Planning and Land Use Committee. My officials have been advised that a full audit of facilities granted planning permission would be highly resource intensive at a time when there are substantial other demands on these resources. Other routes to build out the picture of how the 2001 guidelines have been implemented are now being pursued.

The engagement with planners has been effective in identifying a number of important considerations for the review and is now informing a wider engagement with a wider group of planners. These issues include ensuring that buildings developed on foot of the guidelines meet the needs of the local population and are fit for purpose; and balancing the need to ensure sufficient provision for children and families, regardless of the size or housing type of the development, with ensuring that buildings are effectively operated as intended.

In parallel, planning is underway to capture the views of other stakeholders who will have an interest in the revised guidelines.

I have engaged with the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to discuss how best to support and inform the drafting of revised guidelines under the new Planning and Development Act.

The approach more widely to ensuring appropriate levels of early learning and childcare supply is core to the work of my Department and will be further articulated in the context of the Action Plan to build an affordable, high-quality, accessible early learning and childcare system that Government has committed to publishing.

Covid-19 Pandemic Supports

Ceisteanna (546)

Michael Healy-Rae

Ceist:

546. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health if there are any further plans to extend the scheme of paid leave for public health employees who are still unfit for work post-Covid 19 infections; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53663/25]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health

After a hearing in the Labour Court in June this year it was recommended that a final extension of the current Special Scheme to the 31st of December 2025, at which point anyone remaining on the scheme should transition to the Public Service Sick Leave Scheme.

Any employee of the public health sector remaining unwell beyond that date, may utilise the full provisions of the Public Service Sick Leave Scheme which will provide further support. Employees who did not qualify for the Special Scheme but are also impacted by Long-Covid may also utilise the supports of the sick leave scheme.

The sick leave scheme provides full pay for three months, followed by half pay for three months, and after that, Temporary Rehabilitative Remuneration may be applied for, which, if granted, provides up to a further 547 days of paid leave. The Critical Illness Protocol that forms part of the sick leave scheme may also provide additional supports if granted.

• Written Answers Nos. 517-534
• Written Answers Nos. 547-566