Written Answers Nos. 882-900
882. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she plans to provide additional funding to Section 39 agencies for the additional costs incurred from the new pension auto-enrolment scheme; if she will provide additional funding in a time sensitive manner given that Section 39 agencies are already incurring these additional costs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6170/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Department provides funding to the HSE to deliver specialist disability services either directly or via Section 38 and Section 39 voluntary sector organisations. While this Department sets the strategy, policy direction and the overall allocation for the disability sector, funding allocations to individual service providers is an operational matter for the HSE as the commissioning and funding authority.
Agencies, organisations and charities providing specialist disability services that will be covered by the new auto-enrolment scheme are those funded under Section 39 of the Health Act 2004. These organisations receive a portion of their funding from the HSE to deliver agreed services. Funding is provided to organisations by the HSE through the grant process to support quality person-centred services.
DCDE has been awarded a historic allocation of €3.9 billion for specialist disability services. Additional funding provided for 2026 is intended to address overall cost pressures for HSE funded services within these organisations, ensuring a stable base upon which to plan and expand services now and into the future.
It is, however, important to note that Section 39 providers, while supported by the HSE, are independent entities, and as such employment contracts and obligations (e.g. auto-enrolment, pay, pensions) are matters between the employer and their employees. As these staff are not public sector employees, responsibility for meeting obligations under the new auto-enrolment scheme rests with their respective employers.
I appreciate the critical work that Section 39 providers perform to aid those availing of services and I would like to thank the staff and volunteers in all Section 39 providers for the key work they do in improving people’s lives.
883. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if a priority list of towns and rural communities that are being considered for creche investment under the State build/buy programme will be published, ensuring transparent criteria so communities such as Ballyvourney know when they can expect provision. [6214/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraImproving access to quality and affordable Early Learning and Care and School Age Childcare is a key priority of Government.
€135 million in capital investment has been made available under the National Development Plan to deliver State-led services which will support high-quality, accessible early learning and childcare. Investment will be focused on areas and provision types of greatest need, including rural and disadvantaged areas and full-day places for younger children.
The State-led capital programme is set to commence in 2026. The Department is now beginning to assess sites/buildings with the help of the forward planning model in order to identify which are best placed to deliver on the goals of the programme.
The forward planning model maps publicly-subsidised provision by service type and age group of children against the numbers of children in the corresponding age bracket in the local area and allows for granular and specific analysis to be undertaken. Given the sensitivity of the data, it will not be made available in its totality but the Department is exploring how best to provide aggregated data on places and populations.
In addition to the forward planning model, a suite of other appraisal tools have been developed to inform the selection of projects in alignment with the programme objectives.
Local City and County Childcare Committees will be looking at possible projects and sharing them with the Forward Planning and Delivery Unit in the Department, so in the first instance, community early learning and childcare operators, local authorities, developers, or others who might have a suitable premises or project should contact their local City/County Childcare Committee, whose details can be found here: www.gov.ie/en/department-of-children-disability-and-equality/publications/city-and-county-childcare-committees/.
Up to eight capital projects will be selected under the programme in 2026. No final decisions have yet been made on the specific projects but I look forward to sharing details of projects as they are agreed.
884. Deputy Marie Sherlock asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will commit to a roadmap to deliver Teach An Saol to provide independent living, services and respite for those with severe acquired brain injuries and to address the Ombudsman’s ‘Wasted Lives’ report; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4910/26]
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.
885. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children waiting for an assessment of need, at the end of 2024 and 2025, by county; the number of assessments conducted in 2024 and in 2025; and the number of applications received in 2024 and in 2025, in tabular form. [6247/26]
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. Applications for Assessment if Need have risen from 4,700 applications in 2020 to over 10,000 in 2024. This demand has continued with 9,570 applications received in the first 9 months of 2025. The impact of this increased demand has contributed to there being over 18,000 applications overdue for completion nationwide at the end of September 2025, according to the most recently available HSE data.
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 2025 – a 57% increase compared to the same period in 2024.
The HSE provides Assessment of Need data on a quarterly basis, the most recent of which is for Q3 2025. This data is not available on a county level but is available at Local Health Office (LHO), by Community Health Organisation (CHO) for 2024 and by Regional Health Office (RHA) for 2025. The number of applications received, completed assessment reports and number of children waiting for an assessment of need report summarised are provided at LHO/CHO level in Table 1 for 2024 and at LHO/RHA level in Table 2 for 2025 (Q1 to Q3).
In December 2025, 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 Assessments of Need 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.
Table 1. AON applications received, completed and overdue end of Q4 2024
Table 2. AON applications received, completed and overdue end of Q3 2025
886. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of people waiting for CDNT services, by team and service type, at the end of 2025, in tabular form. [6248/26]
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.
887. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of people waiting for disability services outside CDNTs, by area and service type, at the end of 2025, in tabular form. [6249/26]
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.
889. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of WTE dietitians currently employed across all CDNTs; and the number of dietitian posts in CDNTs that are vacant. [6290/26]
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.
890. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of CDNTs that have at least one WTE dietitian allocated; and the number of CDNTs that currently have no dietetic provision at all. [6291/26]
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.
891. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the average caseload per WTE dietitian in CDNTs. [6292/26]
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.
892. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the funding allocated to recruit dietitians for CDNTs; the workforce planning that has been conducted to determine the required number of dietitians for CDNTs nationally; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6293/26]
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.
893. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the budget allocation for dietetic services in paediatric disability for the next three years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6295/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraI await clarification from the Deputy on the issues raised, and will respond to him as soon as possible once this has been received.
894. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the current HSE risk score for dietetics in each of the 91 CDNTs; the steps that the HSE are taking to mitigate this risk; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6296/26]
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.
895. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the clinical risk assessments that have been completed regarding the absence of dietetic services in CDNTs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6297/26]
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.
896. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of adverse events or clinical incidents related to nutrition that have been reported in CDNTs in the past 24-months; the escalation pathways that exist for dietetic-related risks identified in CDNTs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6298/26]
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.
897. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the average waiting time for a child to access dietetic services through CDNTs. [6300/26]
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.
898. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children with PEG feeding that are currently without dietetic support in CDNTs/being held in acute services waiting lists due to lack of service in the CDNTs. [6301/26]
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.
899. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the plans to appoint a person with suitable archival qualifications to NCRR Steering Committee. [6347/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe National Centre for Research and Remembrance will be located in Seán MacDermott Street, Dublin 1. It will comprise a museum and exhibition space which will form part of the National Museum of Ireland; and a research centre and repository of records related to institutional trauma in the 20th century which will form part of the National Archives.
This Centre will honour equally all those who spent time in Industrial Schools, Magdalen Laundries, Mother and Baby and County Home Institutions, Reformatories, and related institutions. The National Centre campus will also make a valuable contribution to the social and economic development of Dublin’s North East Inner City, through the provision of social housing units, further and higher educational facilities, and facilities for family and parenting supports.
A Steering Group, chaired by Mr Martin Fraser, former Secretary General to the Government and Ambassador to Great Britain, is driving the overall coordinated development of the National Centre campus. Work on the repository of records within the National Centre is being led by the National Archives and the Director of the National Archives is a member of the Steering Group.
This repository in the National Centre is intended as a dedicated archive within the overall National Archives and will be operated by staff of the National Archives. A dedicated team of experienced archivists has been established in the National Archives and is currently working with several government departments to identify and prepare records for transfer to the National Archives in advance of the opening of the Centre.
900. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the current staffing vacancy rate for east Limerick CDNT; the positions currently vacant; the steps being taken to hire the staff to fill these vacancies; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6352/26]
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.
