Written Answers Nos. 619-631
619. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the expected staffing composition of children’s disability network teams; the number of sanctioned WTE approved posts per team by lead agency; and the number and percentage of occupied and vacant posts, in tabular form. [73665/25]
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.
620. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to provide an update on the timeline of implementation for the expansion of community neurorehabilitation teams nationally, following funding allocations in Budget 2026; the expected timeline of implementation for a community neurorehabilitation team in Dublin northwest; the expected funding amount for a community neurorehabilitation team in Dublin northwest; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [73668/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this question refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly.
621. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the catchment areas for community neurorehabilitation teams in Dublin; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [73669/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this question refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly.
622. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the most suitable community neurorehabilitation options for those seeking care for functional neurological disorder in Dublin northwest; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [73670/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this question refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly.
623. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children in County Waterford waiting for an assessment of need at the latest available point in 2025, and 2024; the number of assessments conducted year-to-date and in 2024; and the number of applications received in those periods, in tabular form.; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [73691/25]
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 HSE provides Assessment of Need data on a quarterly basis by Health Region and Local Health Office level. The table below sets out the requested Assessment of Need data for 2024 and the first nine months of 2025 for Waterford Local Health Office (LHO).
|
Waterford Local Health Office (LHO) |
2024 |
2025 (Q1-Q3) |
|
Number of applications received |
159 |
223 |
|
Number of Assessments Completed |
76 |
120 |
|
Number of applications overdue for completion at end of quarter (2025) / year (2024) |
143 |
190 |
The data shows that there has been a significant increase in the number of assessment of need applications in 2025 with a 40% increase in the number of applications in the first nine months of this year compared to 2024 full year figure
However there has also been an increase in the number of completed Assessment of Need reports in 2025, with 120 completed in the first nine months of the year compared to 76 for the full year in 2024. Despite this welcome increase, the number of applications overdue for completion has risen in 2025, reflecting the demand for assessments of need.
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.
624. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children waiting for Children’s Disability Network Team services in County Waterford, at the latest available point in 2025, broken down by team and service type, in tabular form. [73692/25]
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.
626. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of people in County Waterford awaiting home support in 2023, 2024 and to date in 2025, including numbers approved but not yet commenced, hours approved versus delivered, and average waiting times. [73822/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Deputy has clarified that this question is regarding home support for older persons, which is a matter for my cabinet colleague, the Minister for Health.
627. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of applications from County Waterford awaiting decision or placement under the nursing homes support scheme in 2023, 2024 and to date in 2025; and the average time from application to funding decision. [73823/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThis is a matter for my Cabinet colleague, the Minister for Health.
628. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for a county-by-county breakdown of vacant childcare places for those aged under one, under four, and school age care. [73841/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraEach year Pobal compiles data from Early Learning and Care (ELC) and School Age Childcare (SAC) providers as part of the Annual Early Years Sector Profile (AEYSP). While ELC and SAC offerings vary across service providers and the allocation of ELC or SAC places is flexible, the published capacity data provides an estimate of the number of children enrolled in ELC and SAC at a given time.
Data is not available in the format requested by the Deputy. Due to the small number of enrolments for those up to one year of age, it is not possible to reliably estimate national or county figures for this cohort. The table at the link below instead summarises the estimated number of enrolments, the % of services with at least one vacant place and the % of services operating a waiting list for both ELC and SAC. This information is provided by county for the programme year 2023/2024.
ELC* refers to all children aged zero to four years and non-school going children aged between four and six years. SAC** refers to school going children aged between four and six years and all children over six years of age.
Data for 2025 is currently not available as the 2024/2025 AEYSP is undergoing data preparation. The results will be published on the Early Learning and Childcare Data website as soon as they are available.
Notes: *ELC services are those offering care to children in the following age groups: Up to 1 year; 1 year+ to 2 years; 2 years+ to 3 years; 3 years+ to 4 years; 4 years+ to 5 years Non-school going; 5 years+ to 6 years Non-school going. **SAC services are those offering care to children in the following age groups: 4 years+ to 5 years School going; 5 years+ to 6 years School going; 6 years+ to 8 years; 8 years+.
Further information can be found on the Early Learning and Childcare data website. The Capacity Section of the website provides information on the number of children enrolled, services with vacant places, and services with a waiting list.
629. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to provide an update on the introduction of a State pension for foster carers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [71886/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am aware that eligibility for the State Pension (Contributory) is an area of genuine concern for foster carers.
Eligibility for the State Pension (Contributory) is a matter which falls under the remit of my colleague, the Minister for Social Protection. The Department of Social Protection has in place a number of schemes for family carers that may already be of benefit to foster carers where they meet the criteria.
The Programme for Government contains a commitment for the Department of Social Protection to develop a pension solution for foster carers in recognition of the enormous contribution they make to vulnerable children in our society, and to acknowledge their long-term commitment and to ensure that they are supported and valued after their fostering years. Officials from this Department will engage with their counterparts in the Department of Social Protection to ensure this commitment is realised.
Additionally, the Government has committed to the development of a national plan on alternative care, to include a short-term action plan addressing current issues in accessing appropriate care places, and a longer-term vision for how the care system will operate into the future. In delivering on this commitment, work is underway within the Department on the development of a National Policy Framework for Alternative Care. This Framework will articulate the collective vision and responsibilities of the State to children and their families in the alternative care system. Development of the Framework will be informed by evidence and robust consultation with stakeholders, including foster carers and their representative bodies.
I will continue to work closely with Minister Calleary and Government colleagues regarding the progression of pension provision for foster carers.
630. Deputy Tom Brabazon asked the Minister for Health if her Department funds drug addiction prevention initiatives; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [73694/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraWe know from international research that investing in prevention can significantly reduce the demand for drug treatment services, criminal justice system involvement, and the negative impacts of drug use on individuals, families, and communities.
Prevention has been a cornerstone of our last national drugs strategy. Under our last national drugs strategy, Reducing Harm, Supporting Recovery, we have made significant investments in evidenced based drug prevention in Ireland.
The Department of Health spend €172 million in 2024 to respond to the issue of drugs in our society. Within this funding, €4.2 million per year is allocated to projects in task force areas, many of which are focused on the prevention of drug use in their communities.
Below is a summary of funding allocated to the drug prevention and education funding programme, which was launched in 2023.
|
Year |
Amount |
|
2020 |
|
|
2021 |
|
|
2022 |
|
|
2023 |
€170,000 |
|
2024 |
€500,000 |
|
2025 |
€686,000 |
There has been a significant focus on the prevention of drug use, and I am committed to building on this work by supporting similar intervention initiatives around the country. In order to be effective, we need to continue to engage with young people in their own environments, in schools, in their communities, universities, and in social settings.
To inform the actions of the next National Drugs Strategy, the Department is working with the Health Research Board and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime to review the Irish drug prevention system. I am expecting the findings of this review early next year. These finding will inform our next steps in relation to drug prevention policy.
I am a strong advocate for evidence-based prevention. We must ensure our younger population have the appropriate supports and care in place to build life skills, confidence, and the ability to make informed, healthy choices. I intend to make drug prevention a priority in the successor National Drugs Strategy.
631. Deputy Tom Brabazon asked the Minister for Health the amount of funding her Department has allocated to drug addiction prevention initiatives for each of the years 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025, in tabular form. [73696/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraWe know from international research that investing in prevention can significantly reduce the demand for drug treatment services, criminal justice system involvement, and the negative impacts of drug use on individuals, families, and communities.
Prevention has been a cornerstone of our last national drugs strategy. Under our last national drugs strategy, Reducing Harm, Supporting Recovery, we have made significant investments in evidenced based drug prevention in Ireland.
The Department of Health spend €172 million in 2024 to respond to the issue of drugs in our society. Within this funding, €4.2 million per year is allocated to projects in task force areas, many of which are focused on the prevention of drug use in their communities.
Below is a summary of funding allocated to the drug prevention and education funding programme, which was launched in 2023.
|
Year |
Amount |
|
2020 |
|
|
2021 |
|
|
2022 |
|
|
2023 |
€170,000 |
|
2024 |
€500,000 |
|
2025 |
€686,000 |
There has been a significant focus on the prevention of drug use, and I am committed to building on this work by supporting similar intervention initiatives around the country. In order to be effective, we need to continue to engage with young people in their own environments, in schools, in their communities, universities, and in social settings.
To inform the actions of the next National Drugs Strategy, the Department is working with the Health Research Board and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime to review the Irish drug prevention system. I am expecting the findings of this review early next year. These finding will inform our next steps in relation to drug prevention policy.
I am a strong advocate for evidence-based prevention. We must ensure our younger population have the appropriate supports and care in place to build life skills, confidence, and the ability to make informed, healthy choices. I intend to make drug prevention a priority in the successor National Drugs Strategy.
