Claire Kerrane
Ceist:947. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of the recommendations made by the report into special care that have been implemented. [9911/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraCare Services
Ceisteanna (947)
Freagraí scríofa
Special care units are secure, residential facilities for children in care aged between 11 and 17 years. They are detained under a High Court care order for a short-term period of stabilisation when their behaviour poses a real and substantial risk of harm to their life, health, safety, development or welfare. In line with Article 37 of the UN Convention of the Rights of the Child, such detention, which deprives a child of their liberty, is used only as a measure of last resort. The Child and Family Agency (Tusla) has statutory responsibility for the operation of Special Care in Ireland, and for the provision of Special Care beds.
The External Review Group was commissioned by Tusla and tasked with examining the operation of special care services in Ireland. The report details a number of recommendations for its future delivery. I am advised by Tusla that they are actively implementing several of these recommendations.
A number of these recommendations relate to staff remuneration, retention and recruitment. Officials from this Department continue to work with Tusla to support them in addressing these and the immediate challenges in Special Care.
Among the actions being progressed by Department officials and Tusla to address the issues and recommendations in the report are:
Significant pay enhancements have been made. A new grade and pay scale for Special Care has been sanctioned in an effort to increase staff numbers. The new grade provides additional opportunities and a higher career salary scale for both Social Care Workers and Social Care Leaders. The new Tusla Special Care Worker grade offers approximately 20% higher pay at top-of-scale compared to the Social Care Worker grade.
The establishment of three new Step Down units is in progress. Two are scheduled to be completed by Q4 2026 and one in 2027. These will have a capacity of three children each to accommodate children with more complex needs who need a higher level of support than the mainstream residential settings.
Tusla has been allocated €188m capital funding for 2026-2030. Reflecting the priorities in the National Development Plan, €17m is the indicative allocation for special care in Tusla’s Capital Plan for 2026-2030. This will support Tusla in upgrading, renovating or purchasing special care and step down units.
Officials in the Department, in collaboration with Tusla, has commissioned a Review of International Practice in Special Care, expected to be completed in Quarter 3 2026, which will provide insights into practice in other jurisdictions.
Officials in the Department of Children are currently developing a National Policy Framework for Alternative Care. This will deliver on a commitment in the Programme for Government to develop a national plan on alternative care, including articulating a long-term vision for alternative care in Ireland.
€26m has been allocated to special care in Budget 2026, an increase of over €6m on Budget 2025. This investment will facilitate an increase in capacity and enhanced provision by including funding for new special care staff grades, staff well-being initiatives and additional therapeutic supports. It includes €1.3m to provide an enhanced multi-disciplinary therapeutic service to children on the edge of special care, in special care, and transitioning from a special care environment.
Considerable work continues to be undertaken to address the complex challenges in the provision of special care. While the operation of special care and the provision of special care beds is the statutory responsibility of Tusla, officials in the Department are actively engaging with Tusla in relation to the issues impacting on special care. Officials in the Department will continue to provide support to Tusla that is necessary to address the current very significant challenges impacting on this service, and examine longer term actions for the future provision of special care, informed by the Report of the External Review Group on Special Care.
Child and Family Agency
Ceisteanna (948)
Claire Kerrane
Ceist:948. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the reason Tusla has not filled the position of data protection officer (DPO) since 2022; for how long it has had an 'interim' data protection officer"; the number of people that have held this role to date; the efforts being made to fill the role of DPO; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9912/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
As this question relates to operational information held by Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, the question has been referred to the Agency to reply directly to the Deputy
Disability Services
Ceisteanna (949)
Pádraig Rice
Ceist:949. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for an update on the Programme for Government's commitment to develop a multi-year capital plan for residential living options for adults with intellectual disabilities; if her Department records the number of elderly primary carers in the country; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9947/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The Department of Children, Disability and Equality, alongside the HSE, is continuing to work to increase provision in order to assist those who are most vulnerable in our society and who urgently require residential services.
As of December 2025, approximately 90 service providers are delivering 8,911 residential places. Between 2020 and 2025, almost a thousand new residential places were provided to people with disabilities, including 246 additional places last year alone.
A total of €3.9 billion of funding has been allocated to Specialist Disability Services in 2026. Of this, approximately €2.2bn (60%) is allocated to residential services.
In 2026, €65m has been allocated to Disability Residential Services for new developments, which includes €40m of funding that will provide in the region of 199 residential placements in 2026. This includes 152 newly created residential placements, as outlined in the HSE’s National Service Plan for 2026.
The HSE 2026 National Service Plan includes details of a move towards a more planned and responsive system of service provision to include the development of 72 new planned residential placements, and progress reflected in key performance indicators (KPIs) to ensure transparency and accountability in meeting service needs.
In 2026, with allocated funding, the HSE has begun work to establish Residential Placement Planning & Review Teams in each Regional Health Area. The aim of these teams will be to ensure that individuals are appropriately assessed in relation to support needs prior to placement in residential services and reviewed in a timely manner for duration of the placement in respect of quality of care and support needs.
The National Housing Strategy 2022 to 2027 places responsibility for the provision of housing with the Department of Housing and it is the responsibility of the HSE to provide additional supports related to care needs. The HSE and Local Authorities are working together to map the need and to develop plans for delivering housing to people with disabilities and to advance those plans.
The Department of Children, Disability and Equality is engaging with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Housing Authorities, and the HSE, to explore means of responding to the need for additional capacity, which can assist forward planning and cost-effective placements.
This Government recognises the vital work carried out by family carers, as well as the impact that caring can have on carers' physical and mental health. It recognises too the importance of the voice of the person with the disability and that they may have certain wishes about their own future.
According to data from the National Ability Support System (NASS) 2024, there are over 2000 adults with an intellectual disability whose primary carer is aged over 70 in Ireland.
This Government is aware that some people will require a residential place as their parents age and the HSE, alongside contracted service providers, make every effort to provide the correct supports for individuals when needed. Supports include day services, respite services, residential services, home support and personal assistance.
In relation to capital expenditure, the 2025 review of the National Development Plan (NDP) resulted in significantly increased funding for Disability Services over the next five years, with a total envelope of €278 million out to 2030. The Department's Sectoral Capital Plan, published on 27 November 2025, sets out at a high level the infrastructure development plans for the Specialist Disability Sector across the areas of residential, respite, day services and supports for multi-disciplinary teams. I have separately asked the HSE to develop a multi-annual strategy for specialist services which will provide more detail on the anticipated allocation of the NDP funding in the coming years. The annual capital plans for the HSE will then list the specific projects to be funded and progressed within the relevant year.
The first NDP ceiling is reflected in 2026's capital budget, where a total of €43 million has been allocated in the Estimates for next year. The detailed list of projects to be progressed is set out in the 2026 HSE Capital Plan which is due to be published in the coming weeks. It is also my intention that the multi-annual capital strategy for disability services will be published upon completion.
Departmental Functions
Ceisteanna (950)
Michael Cahill
Ceist:950. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to urgently address the issues raised in respect of a child (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10015/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
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.
Disability Services
Ceisteanna (951)
Ryan O'Meara
Ceist:951. Deputy Ryan O'Meara asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the services that are available for a child who has a brain tumour and requires a full-time nurse while attending preschool; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10114/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The Access and Inclusion Model (AIM) is a programme of supports designed to ensure that children with disabilities or additional needs can access the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) mainstream programme. The goal of AIM is to empower early learning and care providers to deliver an inclusive pre-school experience, ensuring that every eligible child can meaningfully participate in the ECCE programme and reap the benefits of quality early learning and care in any mainstream service participating in ECCE. A core feature and strength of AIM is that it does not require a diagnosis. Instead, resources are allocated based on a child’s individual needs.
AIM also provides supports for children with complex healthcare needs in the ECCE programme through an extension of the HSE Paediatric Home Care Package (PHCP), which enables their attendance at preschool. The Complex Healthcare Needs (CHN) trial provides nursing support to facilitate a child’s attendance during ECCE hours where the child has complex medical needs and is in receipt of a HSE Paediatric Home Care Package. The trial enables children with significant medical needs, who may otherwise be unable to attend ECCE, to participate meaningfully with appropriate care. The trial is being undertaken in a collaboration between the Department of Children, Disability and Equality, the Department of Health, and the Health Service Executive (HSE).
The HSE Key Contact must complete a clinical nursing need assessment. If the assessment determines that nursing support is required to attend preschool, a registered nurse will be engaged as an extension of the HSE Paediatric Home Care Package.
Departmental Staff
Ceisteanna (952)
Richard Boyd Barrett
Ceist:952. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to provide details of all active interdepartmental, interagency, and department-agency working groups organised under her remit. [10148/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
Information in relation to active groups organised under the remit of the Department is set out below:
• Autism Innovation Strategy Steering Group
• Birth Information and Tracing Act 2022 Statutory Review Steering Group
• Care Experiences Longitudinal Study Steering Group
• Care Experiences Programme Board
• Care Experiences Programme, Care Pathways Data Analysis Project Board
• Care Experiences Stakeholder Advisory Group
• Children and Young People's Policy Forum
• Educational Attendance, Attainment and Other Outcomes of Children in Care (CSO Frontiers Series) Working Group
• Growing Up in Ireland Bilateral Steering Group
• Interdepartmental Committee for the National Strategy for Women and Girls
• Interdepartmental Steering Group on the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Acts 2015 and 2022
• National Disability Survey Steering Group
• National Human Rights Strategy for Disabled People 2025-2033 Steering Group
• National LGBTIQ+ Inclusion Strategy II (NTRIS II) Steering Committee
• National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy II (NTRIS II) Steering Committee
• Periodic Critical Review of the Adoption Authority of Ireland Steering Group
• Technical Support Instrument (TSI) Project Steering Committee
• Traveller and Roma Research Advisory Group
• Young Carers Steering Group
• Young Ireland Knowledge Creation and Synthesis Fund Research Steering Group (Children in Lone Parent Households Research)
Disabilities Assessments
Ceisteanna (953)
Darren O'Rourke
Ceist:953. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children in County Meath waiting for an assessment of need at the latest available point in 2025 and 2024; the number of assessments conducted in year to date and in 2024; and the number of applications received in those periods, in tabular form. [10269/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The 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 20,209 applications overdue for completion nationwide at the end of 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 with 5,939 reports completed in 2025. This is a 43% increase nationally compared to the number completed in 2024. However, there is regional variation and this improvement is not reflected in all areas, as the data provided below for Meath shows. This issue is being raised with the local HSE management to understand the reason for the reduced rate of completions.
The HSE do not provide data on a county basis, however data is provided by Regional Health Area (RHA) and Local Health Office (LHO). The data requested for the Meath LHO is as follows:
|
No. of AON applications received 2025 |
468 |
|
No. of AON applications received 2024 |
453 |
|
Total completed 2025 |
120 |
|
Total completed 2024 |
173 |
|
Total overdue end of Q4 2025 |
1171 |
|
Total overdue end of Q4 2024 |
603 |
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 and continued improvement in the delivery of completed assessment reports both nationally and regionally.
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 2026 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 supports to assessment officers to improve the delivery of completed assessment reports across the country.
Disability Services
Ceisteanna (954)
Darren O'Rourke
Ceist:954. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children waiting for children’s disability network team services in County Meath, at the latest available point in 2025, broken down by team and service type, in tabular form. [10270/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
As this question refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Disability Services
Ceisteanna (955)
Darren O'Rourke
Ceist:955. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of people in County Meath waiting for disability services outside CDNTs, broken down by service type, at the latest available point in 2025, in tabular form. [10271/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
As this question refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Departmental Budgets
Ceisteanna (956)
Aidan Farrelly
Ceist:956. Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the estimated full year costs of providing 60,000 additional home support hours. [10313/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
Home support services are provided to both children and adults with a wide range of disabilities from physical and sensory disabilities to intellectual disabilities and autism. The home support service assists the person with everyday tasks to enable them to live at home or with family.
Approximately 7,500 people with disabilities in Ireland are currently in receipt of home support with funding provided under Budget 2026 to deliver approximately 100,000 additional hours this year.
The cost of delivering 60,000 additional home support hours is as follows:
€32.73 x 60,000 = €1,963,800.
Departmental Budgets
Ceisteanna (957)
Aidan Farrelly
Ceist:957. Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the estimated full year costs of providing 135,000 additional personal assistant hours. [10314/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
Personal assistance (PA) is recognised as a core mechanism for fulfilling the rights of disabled people to live independently and participate fully in the community. The service is commonly characterised by its self-directed nature, enabling disabled people to exercise more choice and control over their service by determining what support they need as well as the activities they need support with.
Almost 3,000 people with disabilities in Ireland are currently in receipt of PA with funding provided under Budget 2026 to deliver approximately 50,000 additional hours this year.
The cost of delivering 135,000 additional PA hours is as follows:
€32.73 x 135,000 = €4,418,550.
Departmental Funding
Ceisteanna (958)
Noel McCarthy
Ceist:958. Deputy Noel McCarthy asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to outline the funding supports made available by her Department for the establishment and continuation of parent and baby/toddler groups; the measures her Department is currently taking to assist such groups; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10338/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The Department provides funding annually for new and existing parent and toddler groups nationwide.
I secured €350,000 in Budget 2026 to fund Parent and Toddler grants and the Department sets the criteria/conditions for the grants annually.
The Department funded nationwide network of 30 City/County Childcare Committees (CCC) is responsible for the implementation of the grants at city and county level. Each CCC promotes the scheme, appraises applications and distributes funding in their area.
The application window for 2026 grant applications closes on 20 February 2026. New or existing groups seeking funding in 2026 should contact their local CCC without delay as late applications are not accepted.
Disability Services
Ceisteanna (959)
Ciarán Ahern
Ceist:959. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of WTE speech and language therapist posts, by grade filled at Tymon CDNT as of 4 February 2026, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10388/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
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.
Childcare Services
Ceisteanna (960)
Shane Moynihan
Ceist:960. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the engagement her Department will have with the Land Development Agency as part of the move to State acquisition of childcare buildings; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10396/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
I recently announced €135 million in capital investment in buildings for high-quality, accessible State-led early learning and childcare. The process will begin in 2026 with investment in buildings in what will be a ground-breaking initiative for this government. Capital funding will be used to acquire and/or fit out the building, depending on requirements.
Up to eight buildings will be selected for investment this year and the State-led initiative will provide thousands of places up to 2030 using the €135 million provided in the National Development Plan. The level of investment will ramp up over the lifetime of the Government.
The Department is in discussions with local authorities and State agencies, including the Land Development Agency, about the potential for collaborative partnerships to deliver this programme, including acquiring buildings in some instances.
This Department is assessing sites and buildings and, where required, will seek expressions of interest from operators to deliver these State-led services. Advanced discussions are ongoing with Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council in relation to the early learning and care facility at the Shanganagh Castle Estate, which was delivered by the Land Development Agency, and a range of other projects are also being considered.
Magdalen Laundries
Ceisteanna (961)
Sorca Clarke
Ceist:961. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of people who have applied for redress in respect of the Magdalene restorative justice ex-gratia scheme in each year since its establishment; and the number of applicants who have received redress, and in what form, broken down by category. [10414/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The Magdalen Restorative Justice Ex-Gratia Scheme provides for lump sum payments between €11,500 to €100,000 depending on length of stay in the institution concerned, as well as a pension type payment up to the value of the State Contributory pension once the woman concerned reaches pension age. Prior to reaching pension age, the women who are not already in receipt of any State benefits are entitled to €120 per week from the State. In addition, all eligible applicants receive an enhanced medical card.
The Scheme, which is non-adversarial, remains open and, to date, approximately €33.4 million has been paid in lump sum awards to 834 applicants who qualified under the scheme. A breakdown of applications and awards in the period since 2013 is set out in the following table.
|
--- |
|
|
Applications and awards under the Magdalen Scheme |
|
Year |
Applications Made |
Year |
Awards Paid |
|
2013 |
658 |
|
|
|
2014 |
117 |
2013-14 |
490 |
|
2015 |
27 |
2015 |
116 |
|
2016 |
15 |
2016 |
60 |
|
2017 |
12 |
2017 |
20 |
|
2018 |
36 |
2018 |
31 |
|
2019 |
31 |
2019 |
72 |
|
2020 |
8 |
2020 |
15 |
|
2021 |
5 |
2021 |
10 |
|
2022 |
9 |
2022 |
7 |
|
2023 |
6 |
2023 |
6 |
|
2024 |
7 |
2024 |
5 |
|
2025 |
4 |
2025 |
2 |
|
2026 |
0 |
2026 |
0 |
|
Total |
935 |
|
834 |
Departmental Expenditure
Ceisteanna (962)
Michael Healy-Rae
Ceist:962. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the reason for delay in processing payments for a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10433/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
As this question refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Departmental Budgets
Ceisteanna (963)
Marie Sherlock
Ceist:963. Deputy Marie Sherlock asked the Minister for Health the total sum of money allocated to fund the wait list action plan 2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9152/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
It is acknowledged that many patients are still waiting too long for hospital appointments and treatments. I am conscious of the burden that this places on patients and their families.
I published the Waiting Time Action Plan (WTAP) for 2026 on January 30th, as part of this Government’s ongoing commitment to improving access to hospital care and reducing waiting times for patients.
The multi-annual Action Plan approach was implemented in September 2021 to sustainably reduce and reform hospital waiting lists and waiting times. Significant progress has been made under this approach in reducing the length of time patients are waiting.
With the 2026 plan, we will continue to build upon the progress delivered to date under the multi annual action plan approach, moving towards the ultimate vision of a public healthcare service in which everyone has timely access to high-quality scheduled care, where and when they need it.
The WTAP 2026 sets out the National level priorities and actions, and serves as a critical support and enabler for each Region in developing their Regional Operational Plans for planned care. This includes the setting out of how the nationally agreed priorities and targets can be delivered at local and regional level, and how performance variation can be reduced intra- and inter-regionally.
Under this more devolved approach, each Health Region will receive a core current funding allocation, that incorporates the funding to achieve the WTAP targets, for the needs of its population, with the flexibility to invest where it will have the greatest impact. With effect from 2026, the management of total staff allocations and payroll budget within the various Health Regions has devolved to the REOs.
In terms of funding for the National Treatment Purchase Fund for 2026, €200 million has been allocated for the NTPF to achieve the targeted levels of activity set out in the WTAP.
Hospital Appointments Status
Ceisteanna (964)
Robert Troy
Ceist:964. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Health if she will expedite an appointment for a person (details supplied). [9162/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
Under the Health Act 2004, the Health Service Executive (HSE) is required to manage and deliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services. The Minister for Health is prohibited from directing the HSE to provide a treatment or a personal service to any individual or to confer eligibility on any individual.
In relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Primary Care Services
Ceisteanna (965)
Carol Nolan
Ceist:965. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Health the measures she has in place to improve access to primary care in County Offaly; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9183/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Ambulance Service
Ceisteanna (966)
Carol Nolan
Ceist:966. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Health the actions she is taking to reduce ambulance response times in County Offaly; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9184/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.