Written Answers Nos. 586-607
586. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will assess the impact of the EU deforestation regulation on the Irish book industry, particularly the requirement for importers to file due diligence statements for each title; if he will consider designating the relevant tariff code for printed books as ultra-low risk to reduce administrative burdens; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [73281/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe EUDR aims to ensure that products consumed within the EU do not contribute to global deforestation and forest degradation. The Commodities that will be subject to the Regulation are rubber, oil palm, soy, wood, cattle, cocoa, and coffee.
Annex I of the regulation lists all of the products to which the EUDR applies. "Printed books, newspapers, pictures and other products of the printing industry, manuscripts, typescripts and plans, of paper" were originally included on this list.
However, on December 17th the European Parliament adopted changes to the EUDR, which had already been informally agreed with Member States on 4th December. Among these amendments is the removal of printed products from the scope of this regulation. This is indeed a welcome amendment, and one I have been in support of since its proposal by the European Parliament, as communicated by my Department as part of the ongoing discussions at EU level. My department also met stakeholders representing this sector and has been acutely aware of their concerns.
I continue to advocate for simplifications at EU level, aiming to achieve optimal outcomes, without placing excessive burdens on small business or unnecessary disruption to supply chains.
587. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to elaborate on his comments to the European Council on Agriculture and Fisheries (details supplied) that Ireland will cancel legislative public health policy, namely alcohol health information labelling; when this decision was agreed, and by whom; the reason he made these comments and not the Minister for Health; his views on whether he has overreached in making announcements in relation to Department-of-Health policy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [73490/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraAlcohol health information labelling is a policy matter for the Minister for Health.
However, I can confirm that the Government decided on 22 July 2025 to delay the implementation of this particular measure for two years from 2026 to 2028. This has been reported widely and indeed already addressed via the parliamentary question procedure with questions directly to the relevant Minister.
I am not aware of any other changes being made to the underpinning legislation.
588. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the outcome of the most recent discussions at the EU Agriculture and Fisheries Council in relation to the proposed EU/Mercosur trade deal, with specific reference to the need to protect the Irish agri-food sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [73549/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraAlong with the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, who has lead responsibility for trade policy, I have actively engaged with both the European Commission and with other Member States across the EU to voice Ireland’s concerns in relation to the EU-Mercosur Agreement.
During these engagements, I have repeatedly emphasised Ireland’s requirements for credible, legally-binding commitments on matters relating to trade and sustainable development, including climate, biodiversity, and deforestation protections. I have also repeatedly emphasised that beef in particular is a very sensitive sector, which is vulnerable to negative impacts from the Mercosur agreement.
Since my appointment as Minister earlier this year, I have raised these concerns at Agri-Fish Council meetings and also with like-minded Member States through bilateral meetings on the margins of these Council meetings, most recent of which was with my French and Italian counterparts at the November meeting in Brussels. The November meeting of the Agri-Fish Council also included an agenda item on trade-related agricultural issues, which gave me a further opportunity to reiterate our concerns on the EU-Mercosur Agreement.
The recent December Agri-Fish Council meeting featured extensive discussions on a number of issues, including reduced fishing opportunities for 2026 and the Common Agricultural Policy post-2027. It did not include a specific agenda item relating to trade-related agricultural issues or the EU-Mercosur Agreement.
589. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if cross-Government measures will be introduced to reduce the sale of land to non-farming interests and particularly large-scale businesses, with specific reference to the need to support small farm holders who may wish to buy neighbouring farm land; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [73611/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy is aware, issues relating to the ownership of private property are subject to very significant and complex legal, constitutional and policy considerations. Any statutory limitations on the sale of land, including farmland, would be subject to all of these considerations. Any such proposals would also involve imposing restrictions on the constitutional rights of farmers wishing to sell their land.
590. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the steps he is taking to address the link between some forestry plantations and flooding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [73650/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraWell managed and maintained forests do not contribute to flooding, and in fact will contribute to flood mitigation. My Department sets standards around afforestation, felling and replanting. Drainage and the management of water and water quality is a key consideration in these standards. My Department ensures standards are met through inspection processes related to licensed forestry activity and responding to reported incidence of non compliance.
Drainage is often required to grow a healthy, thriving forest. In relation to newly planted forests, many new forests are planted without new drains and for new forests where drains are required these new drains are not connected directly to rivers or streams. These drains will stop some distance from a river or stream thereby slowing the flow of water from the forest and mitigating against downstream flooding.
As mentioned above, planting woodlands is often utilised as a flood mitigation measure, often referred to as a nature-based solution. My Department has afforestation schemes specific to promoting water quality and addressing water related issues. These include "Forest Type 2 - Forests for water" and "Native Tree Area Scheme (NTA2)".
The forest canopy will generally reduce the amount of water reaching rivers and streams and can help regulate surface run-off during periods of heavy rain. When the forest canopy is removed at clearfell stage, conditions of felling licences granted by my Department such as sediment traps and attenuation areas are utilised to slow the flow of water and protect watercourses.
My Department has introduced a Climate Resilient Reforestation scheme. This scheme funds the creation of areas for biodiversity and water protection, with associated measures including drain-blocking, slow-water damming and the planting of widely spaced groups of native broadleaves at reforestation stage. These measures have a positive impact on both flood mitigation and water quality.
591. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when the new forestry reconstitution scheme will open for applications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [73677/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraI recognise that storms Darragh and Éowyn have caused significant damage to forests around the country, and that this presents significant challenges for forestry stakeholders. I also welcome the positive progress made by the forestry sector in the mobilisation of windblown material in forests.
Following Government Approval, alongside Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon I was delighted to recently announce a €55 million Reconstitution Scheme for private forest owners affected by Storm Darragh and Storm Éowyn.
This Reconstitution Scheme contains an attractive package to enable payments to private forest owners for replanting their damaged forest areas, with either conifer or broadleaf species, or a mixture of both. The grant rates offered will reflect the replanting species and will mirror the planting grant rates paid through my Department’s Afforestation Scheme.
Landowners who have already replanted, or are in the process of doing so, are eligible to apply for this scheme retrospectively once they satisfy the qualifying criteria.
Development of this Scheme is underway and it is expected that applications for the scheme will open in early 2026. Further details will issue by circular once available.
I would encourage all forest owners affected by Storms Darragh and Éowyn to avail of this comprehensive Reconstitution Scheme.
592. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the timeline for the issue of approvals for TAMS applications under the fencing measure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [73688/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Scheme (TAMS 3) provides grants to farmers to build and/or improve a specified range of farm buildings and equipment on their holdings. Overall, the scheme has proved very popular, with an unprecedented level of applications received.
The timeline for approval of applications under TAMS 3 has been agreed with the relevant farm bodies and laid down in the Farmers' Charter. It has been agreed that the issue of approvals following the selection of valid applications will take place within three months of ranking and selection of files under each tranche, and no longer than six months following the closure of a tranche. Ranking and Selection is the process whereby the overall cost of applications received in a particular tranche is assessed taking into account the available budget.
This timeline referred to in the Farmers' Charter is in respect of all eleven schemes currently available under TAMS 3. Priority is not provided for any specific measure such as livestock fencing.
593. Deputy Pat the Cope Gallagher asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the European states that Minister Dooley visited or contacted prior to the fisheries council seeking their support for Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [73776/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn the weeks leading up to the December Agriculture and Fisheries Council, I had bilateral meetings with the Ministers with responsibility for Fisheries in Belgium, Portugal, Spain, Poland and Germany.
I also had bilateral meetings on the margins of last week's Council with France and the Netherlands.
Furthermore, I met with the Danish Presidency and the Fisheries Commissioner, on a number of occasions throughout the year to garner support for Ireland's position.
594. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the total allocation to TAMS in each of the years from 2019 to 2026; the indicative allocation for 2027; broken down by county, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [73835/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Targeted Agriculture Modernisation Scheme (TAMS 3) provides grants to farmers to build and/or improve a specified range of farm buildings and equipment on their holdings. All investments must be linked to Climate, Environment or Animal Welfare.
Overall, a total of €547.6 million has been allocated to TAMS over the period 2019 to 2025 as outlined in the table below. The indicative allocation for both 2026 and 2027 will be similar to the allocation for this year, taking into account the number of applications received. As TAMS is a demand-led scheme it is not possible to provide a breakdown of allocations by county.
|
Year |
Allocation |
|
2019 |
€77m |
|
2020 |
€90.54m |
|
2021 |
€79.99m |
|
2022 |
€79.67m |
|
2023 |
€61.13m |
|
2024 |
€72.27m |
|
2025 |
€87m |
595. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to outline progress on the programme for Government commitment to expand arts programming in early childhood education. [73332/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraEarlier this year, I published ‘Principles for Engaging in the Arts: A Guide for Early Learning and Care and School-Age Childcare Settings’ alongside the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport.
The Principles for Engaging in the Arts are designed to inspire and support meaningful arts experiences for children in early learning and care, and school-age childcare settings across Ireland. The principles are closely aligned with the principles underpinning both Aistear, the Early Childhood Curriculum Framework, and the National Quality Guidelines for School Age Childcare Services. They have been developed to give greater detail and further clarity on this area of practice, to support early years educators, school-age practitioners and childminders in promoting arts experiences as part of their setting’s curriculum or programme of activities. The principles are also intended to support artists and arts organisations in their work with babies, toddlers, young children and children attending school-age childcare, while creating a shared language and shared understanding across and between sectors.
The principles were developed by the Department of Children, Disability and Equality in partnership with the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport (through the Creative Ireland Programme), the Department of Education and Youth, the Arts Council, the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, early years educators, school-age childcare practitioners, childminders and artists.
The principles, available in Irish and English, were published alongside a short video showcasing them in action. Both can be accessed here: www.gov.ie/en/department-of-children-disability-and-equality/publications/principles-for-engaging-with-the-arts-a-guide-for-early-learning-and-care-and-school-age-childcare/
Further to this, an e-learning programme is in development, to deepen understanding and demonstrate how the principles translate into practice, to be made available on the Nurturing Skills Learning Hub (at www.nurturingskills.ie/) in 2026.
The Department of Children, Disability and Equality also supports and part-funds the Arts in Early Learning and Childcare Scheme delivered by the Arts Council. This scheme sees individual artists and arts organisations partner with eligible settings to develop opportunities for babies, toddlers, young children, and children attending school-age childcare, to explore and enjoy the arts.
The scheme, which was piloted in 2023, was strengthened and expanded in 2024 and again in 2025. In 2025 the scheme, with a budget of €290,000, saw 9 successful award recipients engage with over 30 settings. Many more settings benefited through local events delivered as part of the scheme, where participating artists, early year educators and school-age practitioners share their learning to inform wider practice. The 2026 scheme will open for applications in March 2026. Further information can be found here: artscouncil.ie/funding-opportunities/arts-in-early-learning-and-childcare-scheme/
This work, while ongoing, delivers on Strategic Objective 3 of the Creative Youth Plan 2023-2027, which aims to place creativity at the heart of children and young peoples’ lives. It also delivers on the commitment in First 5, the Whole-of-Government Strategy for Babies, Young Children and their Families (2019-2028)to advance the inclusion and participation of babies and young children in cultural life and the arts, in addition to advancing the Programme for Government commitment.
596. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to outline the plans in place to increase capacity at Oberstown Children Detention Campus, including any timelines for delivery; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [73747/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraSignificant Capital funding has been allocated through the NDP review process to refurbish an accommodation unit currently not in use in Oberstown Detention School. Department officials have recently written to the OPW requesting commencement of planning and design of this vacant unit onsite as soon as possible. It should be noted refurbishment will likely take a minimum of two years to complete.
I continue to consider the matter in detail with the Oberstown team. I believe it may be necessary to provide for a small increase in the near future in the maximum number of boys that may be detained at Oberstown. The Director has been asked to consider what preparations may need to be made on the Oberstown Campus for that.
Detention of children is used as a last resort and Oberstown is one part of a wider Youth Justice system with many effective alternatives to detention available in the Irish Youth Justice system such as the highly successful Youth Diversion Programmes operating nationwide.
597. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the current number of children in State care; and the steps her Department is taking to protect them from harm. [71835/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraI can advise the Deputy that Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, reported a total of 5,866 children in care at the end of October 2025. Compared with the same period in 2024, this represents a 2% increase in the number of children in the care of the State.
5,054, or 86% of those children were in foster care, either relative foster care or general foster care. 598 children, or just over 10%, were in a residential care placement. The remaining 222 children were reported as being in "other" placements, for example in supported lodgings, or a disability unit, or a special emergency arrangement.
In respect of protecting children in care from harm, the Child Care Act 1991 is the primary piece of legislation governing the alternative care system. The Act is a wide-ranging piece of legislation, which, at its core, seeks to promote the welfare of children who may not be receiving adequate care and protection.
Consequently, the Act sets out a detailed statutory framework, which includes but is not limited to provisions requiring Tusla to have regard to the best interests of the child, the thresholds for bringing children into care, the types of placements where they may be cared for, and the responsibilities of the State in respect of looking after these children.
It is worth noting that the child protection and welfare landscape in Ireland has changed greatly since the Act’s commencement, and like any other piece of legislation it requires updating from time to time. In the case of the 1991 Act, it is important to reflect changes in the child welfare and protection sector in Ireland and capture current legislative, policy and practice developments.
As Minister for Children, I recently sought and received cabinet approval to publish the Child Care (Amendment) Bill 2025. This Bill will better align Ireland’s legislation with the requirements of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and give further effect to Article 42A of the Constitution on the rights of the child. It contains new measures to strengthen inter-agency co-operation and national coordination on child protection. Designated public bodies will be required to proactively collaborate and share information to deliver more coordinated and effective services. This will strengthen to State’s ability to keep children in care safe from harm, and ensure that they have the supports they need to achieve their potential.
The placement of children in alternative care is also governed by Regulations and Standards for Foster Care, Residential Care, and Special Care. These Regulations and Standards set out the detailed criteria against which Tusla is inspected in its provision of alternative care services. The application of these Regulations and Standards promotes safe and high-quality practice in alternative care.
I will continue to work closely with Tusla and with other stakeholders to improve the delivery of high-quality care to children and young people.
598. Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will outline the current support provided for personalised budgets; her plans to expand this scheme to better support people with disabilities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [62155/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraA personalised budget is an amount of funding allocated to an eligible person with a disability to enable them to make their own arrangements to meet specified support needs. A key strength of the personalised budget model is the enhanced autonomy and flexibility it offers. Individuals’ can select services that are most relevant and meaningful to them, defining the quality, scope, and delivery of their supports.
To test the delivery of personalised budgets in an Irish context, the Personalised Budget Demonstrator Pilot was established in 2019, on a cost-neutral basis.
In May 2025, the Demonstrator Pilot commenced its evaluation phase which is expected to conclude shortly. Led by the National Disability Authority, the evaluation will provide critical insights into the barriers and facilitators to rolling out personalised budgets on a larger scale and will therefore inform next steps towards the development of an effective model of personalised budgets model in Ireland.
599. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality her views on the lack of access to children for therapeutic interventions in Blakestown CDNT. [72878/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this question refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
600. Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality her plans to address the waiting list for assessment of needs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [72809/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe delivery of an effective, efficient Assessment of Need system is a priority for the Government. There has been intensive work by the Department of Children, Disability and Equality and the HSE to address delays in the provision of Assessments of Need.
Under the Disability Act, an Assessment of Need is an assessment process carried out by the HSE where a person is of the opinion that he/she may have a disability, for anyone born after 1st June 2002. It first establishes whether the person has a disability (as defined within the Act). It then identifies the health and education needs of the person with a disability and the services required to meet those needs.
It is important to note that children do not require an Assessment of Need to access health services, including Primary Care, Children’s Disability Network Teams or Mental Health Services.
However, demand for Assessments of Need has increased significantly in recent years, reflecting both the increase in population and the number of families exploring all options to access services for their child. The impact of this increased demand has contributed to there being over 18,000 applications overdue for completion nationwide at the end of September- a 42% increase on this time last year.
More positively, there has been continued improvement in the number of completed assessment of need reports. Over 4,500 reports were completed in the first nine months of this year – a 57% increase compared to the same period last year.
This improvement has bolstered by significant investment by the Department of Children, Disability and Equality in the Targeted Waitlist Initiative which focuses on those families waiting longest for Assessments of Need. Under this Initiative, the HSE procures clinical assessments from approved private providers. Over 6,300 clinical assessments have been commissioned from private providers since the Initiative started in June 2024. Budget 2026 provides for the continuation of this Initiative next year with €20 million provided for the delivery of some 6,000 clinical assessments.
Last week, Government announced a series of reforms to the Assessment of Need process which will make the process more effective and efficient for children and families. Over time, this should lead to a reduction in the waiting time to receive an assessment.
This reform includes changes to Part 2 of the Disability Act, 2005, which provides for Assessments of Need. The General Scheme of the Disability (Amendment) Bill 2025 which outlines these proposed changes was approved by Government on 9 December and will be published on the Department’s website shortly.
Any proposed legislative changes will not remove any rights for parents to apply for an Assessment of Need for their child, nor will they alter the statutory six-month timeline set out in the Disability Act.
Other aspects of the reform include:
• The development of statutory guidelines to ensure that AONs focus on identifying a child’s needs, engaging in more intensive assessments only where required to identify need. This should help reduce delays and allow therapists to spend more time delivering services.
• The establishment by the HSE of eleven new teams, initially, to support HSE assessment processes, including Assessments of Need. Each team will include a psychologist, a speech and language therapist, an occupational therapist, and an administrator, providing clinical guidance throughout the process.
The provision of an effective and efficient Assessment of Need system continues to be a priority for the Government.
601. Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality her plans to address child poverty before the Christmas period and further through the winter; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [72950/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs Minister I am committed to ensuring that no child is living in consistent poverty, and every child has the opportunity to thrive. We are not there yet, so it is crucial we keep focused on improving outcomes for these children and their families. Budget 2026 has prioritised targeted and focused investment to support children and families who need it most.
The ESRI has estimated that Budget 2026 measures will lift around 2,000 children out of income poverty, and this represents the first year of the Government’s multi-year plan to meet the target.
Addressing child poverty is one of the priorities highlighted in Young Ireland, the National Policy Framework for Children and Young People, and measures taken within this Department reflect this priority. Similarly, the National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy II 2024 – 2028 is a whole of Government Strategy with a key focus on addressing the inequalities experienced by Travellers and Roma including in terms of health, education, employment and accommodation, using a social determinant approach. Strategic themes and associated actions in the Strategy aim to break intergenerational cycles of poverty and disadvantage by improving education outcomes, employment prospects, promoting social inclusion, fostering overall health and wellbeing, and driving overall economic development for Travellers and Roma.
The Department has made great efforts to address child poverty, and there will be funding provided in 2026 for a range of measures that support affordability, access and quality of services.
This includes the following measures:
• more than 286,000 children are set to benefit from the National Childcare Scheme;
• continued implementation of the universal Early Childhood Care and Education programme, benefiting approximately 105,250 children;
• continued support for the Equal Start funding model with 37,000 children set to benefit in 2026; and
• continued delivery of AIM supports - designed to ensure that children with disabilities can fully participate in the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Programme and beyond, thereby reaping the benefits of quality early learning and care and realising the opportunity to reach their full potential.
The ‘Shaping the Future: Early Years Action Plan’, was published on 17 December. The Action Plan commits to increasing the NCS Income Assessed Thresholds later in 2026, with an increase to the lower and upper income thresholds of the NCS income assessed (IA) subsidy from €26,000 - €60,000 (current) to €34,000 - €68,000; An increase to the multiple child discount (MCD) component of the NCS IA subsidy for families with 2 or more children under the age of 15 from €4,300 to €5,500 for families with two children and from €8,600 to €11,000 for families with 3 or more children.
Through increasing the NCS Income-Assessed thresholds, families whose reckonable income falls within the new thresholds will receive a higher subsidy, as they will move to a higher income-assessed rate, according to their individual circumstances. Increasing the Multiple Child Discount will further reduce the reckonable income for families with 2 or more children, allowing them to receive a higher subsidy, thereby reducing the cumulative burden of cost.
These adjustments will considerably improve the affordability of early learning and childcare for up to 47,000 children from lower income families. This measure will achieve alignment with the current relative income poverty rate for families with children, as per Social Justice Ireland data.
The measure is key to assisting the Government in addressing child poverty, which is a central focus for Budget 2026, and was highlighted specifically for prioritisation by the Children's Rights Alliance.
Additional budget was secured to strengthen the national network of Family Resource Centres and bring spending on core funding to €25m in total, which will see the network grow to 136. 2026 will also be the fourth successive year where Tusla’s budget exceeds €1billion now reaching over €1.4 billion. This will be used to provide vital frontline services to children and families.
On 14 November 2025, the Kildare Child Poverty Profile was officially launched by the Department and shines a light on the often-hidden realities of child poverty in one of Ireland’s most affluent counties, with neurodivergent children particularly affected. The Profile is a key element of the Kildare Child Poverty Initiative, and is one of four Local Area Child Poverty Action Plan pilots funded by DCDE’s What Works scheme, to develop locally informed evidence-based responses to child poverty.
602. Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of residential respite beds required in Dublin South-Central for adults with disabilities, over 18 years-of-age; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [72951/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this question refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly.
603. Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality her plans to address the significant staffing shortages across the children's disability network teams (CDNTs) in Dublin South-Central; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [72961/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this question refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
604. Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality and Equality if she will review the decision not to provide a Christmas bonus to foster carers in 2025; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [72963/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraFoster 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.
This Department has overseen record investment in foster carers, including a 21% increase to the foster care allowance over the past two years, resulting in the current weekly allowance for children in foster care of €400 per week for children aged under 12, and €425 per week for those over 12.
A double payment of the foster care allowance was paid to foster carers at the end of 2023 and this payment was repeated at the end of 2024. This was in recognition of the significant pressures placed on families in the context of high rates of inflation, and was in line with other similar payments, including a double payment of child benefit, which foster carers also received.
Additionally, in 2025 foster carers now receive a bonus payment at the start of each initial foster care placement. This payment aims to alleviate the substantial out-of-pocket expenses that can be incurred by foster carers during the initial period after a child is placed in their care.
A revised Mileage Payment Scheme for foster carers also came into effect in April 2025. This broadens the categories of journeys which may be considered eligible for payment under the Foster Care Travel Payments Scheme. Additionally, the cumulative weekly travel distance to qualify for these payments has been reduced from 300km to 250km.
The Programme for Government 2025 sets out the Government’s intention to provide further support for foster carers, including further increases to the foster care allowance and the new Initial Placement Payment, a commitment to examine pension provision for foster carers, and examine eligibility for the Back-to-School Clothing and Footwear Allowance.
In respect of the double payment to foster carers paid to foster carers last year, I can advise that this payment was made on a once-off basis as there was no intention for this payment to be made on a reoccurring annual basis. Although this payment will not be made to foster carers this year, I can assure the Deputy I fully intend to prioritise foster care and ensure that we build upon the suite of supports of which foster carers can avail.
605. Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality her plans to ensure more childcare providers join and-or remain in core funding; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [72962/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraWhile the State cannot mandate providers to participate in the scheme, Core Funding has been designed with maximum participation of providers in mind as reflected in the year-on-year growth of investment in the Scheme (rising from €259 million in year 1 to over €390 million in the current programme year 4). 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 will see the allocation for Core Funding in the next programme year which begins in September 2026 increase to almost €482 million. That is an additional €89 million on the current full year allocation, or a 23% increase.
The Budget 2026 allocation will facilitate:
• Natural capacity growth of 4.2% across the sector.
• Additional capacity growth created by the new Building Blocks grants.
• Support for providers in adhering to the fee management conditions including the continued fee freeze and reductions to the maximum fee caps in the 2026/2027 programme year.
• Support for improved pay for early years educators and school-age childcare practitioners with implementation of new 2025 Employment Regulation Orders, with further increases in pay to be supported through enhancement in year 5 of the scheme.
In addition to this increased allocation, participation in Core Funding unlocks additional supports for services to access, including:
• access to wider financial supports where a service is experiencing financial difficulty or has concerns about their viability;
• access to enhanced support for services caring for concentrated numbers of children facing disadvantage through Equal Start; and
• opportunities to apply for capital grants through this Department.
Participation in Core Funding is optional, but it remains open to all registered providers subject to their agreement to the terms and conditions of the Core Funding Agreement.
It is a matter for providers to decide whether they wish to sign up to Core Funding and thereby benefit from the significant financial supports it offers to providers and the certainty it gives to parents through the associated fee management measures.
I wish to remind the Deputy that uptake of Core Funding remains strong. The fourth year of Core Funding began on 1 September and as of 12 December there were 4,580 services signed up to Year 4 of Core Funding, a 5 per cent increase on this time last year. This is the highest number of Partner Services in Core Funding at any point since the scheme was launched in 2022 and the number continues to grow.
I am encouraged by this rate of participation: it shows that Core Funding is working as intended, and the vast majority of families will continue to benefit from the scheme’s fee management conditions.
606. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the reason for the delay in issuing funding to a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [73299/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this question refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
607. Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of WTE social workers based at Kilkenny Children's Disability Network Team in the years of 2024 and to date in 2025, in tabular form. [73322/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this question refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
