Written Answers Nos. 1020-1039
1020. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the amount the State paid to third party residential disability care services contractors, in each of the past ten years. [12221/26]
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.
1021. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of adult disability residential housing placements allocated in each of the past five years. [12224/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraI wish to thank the Deputy for raising this question. As this question refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly.
1022. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of new adult disability residential units the State will create in 2026. [12225/26]
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.
1023. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of people currently on the waiting list for adult disability services in each county; the average wait time for services; and the breakdown of the list for each of the past ten years, by the number on the list, added to the list and seen throughout the year. [12226/26]
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.
1024. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of WTE senior staff grade physiotherapists based in each CDNT within CHO3 as of 9 February 2026, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12242/26]
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.
1025. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality her views on the difficulty posed by auto enrolment for TUSLA funded projects (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12278/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Department of Children, Disability and Equality welcomes the Auto-Enrolment Retirement Savings System launched in January 2026. The Auto-Enrolment Retirement Savings Authority (NAERSA) will have responsibility for employer compliance, with Revenue providing support by supplying payroll data for identification and enrolment purposes.
All employers are required to comply with the legislation underpinning MyFutureFund, regardless of their status or funding arrangements. This requirement applies equally to employers including where employees are on short term contracts or working multiple part-time jobs. MyFutureFund will be central to helping people increase their financial security in their retirement years.
With regards to agencies, charities or organisations in receipt of grant funding from the Department, statutory obligations relating to pay or pensions are a matter for each individual body to adhere to, in line with national employment law.
Tusla continues to engage with organisations it funds and will look at the quantum of need in this area. It is anticipated that Tusla will gather information from organisations with a view to preparing a comprehensive business case to put forward as part of their estimates bid for budget 2027.
1026. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if significant funding can now be found to alleviate the recruitment crisis of respite care staff by the HSE in Kerry, especially for those individuals with special needs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12327/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this question refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly.
1027. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to provide a list of all organisations and projects that received matched and/or partner funding from his/her Department in 2023, 2024 and 2025; the amount of funding allocated to each organisation or project; what was achieved and the stated outcomes from the funding provided in each case; the plans her Department has for the provision of matched and partner funding in 2026 and 2027 including the way such funding aligns with her Department’s philanthropy policy and objectives; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12406/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Department is currently collating the information requested and a reply will issue directly to the Deputy on this matter as soon as possible.
1028. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the way her Department intends to address the long delays for assessments and diagnoses for children with disabilities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12423/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder 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.
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. 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. This growing demand is outpacing the capacity of the system to meet it. This has led to there being just over 20,200 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. Over 5,900 reports were completed in 2025 – a 43% increase compared to 2024 and an 85% increase compared to 2023. This improvement needs to continue.
In December 2025, Government announced a series of changes 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 of Need.
These changes include amendments to Part 2 of the Disability Act 2005, which provides for Assessments of Need. The General Scheme of the Disability (Amendment) Bill which outlines these proposed changes was approved by Government on 9 December and has been published on the Department’s website along with an FAQ document. The Bill has been referred to the Joint Committee on Disability Matters for Pre-Legislative Scrutiny.
It is important to note that 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 changes to support an improved Assessment of Need process 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.
• A continued focus by the HSE on the training and development of assessment officers.
• 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.
Work has also continued on a number of initiatives to address challenges within the broader system and improve access to and provision of services.
• The HSE will progress implementation of the Autism Assessment and Intervention Pathways Protocol in early 2026. The Protocol will provide a standardised assessment process across primary care, mental health and disability services and will be the preferred assessment route for autism.
• The HSE is introducing a Single Point of Access system, which will make it easier for families to be referred to the right service - whether that is a Children's Disability Network Team, Primary Care, or the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service. This aims to streamline referrals and reduce duplication, so children do not end up on multiple waiting lists.
The provision of an effective and efficient Assessment of Need system continues to be a priority for the Government.
1029. Deputy Eamon Scanlon asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to outline the reason an orphanage (details supplied) has been excluded from the Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12432/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme provides payments and health benefits to people who spent time in any of the Mother and Baby or County Home Institutions that were identified by the Mother and Baby Homes Commission of Investigation as having a main function of providing sheltered and supervised ante and post-natal facilities to single mothers and their children. The institutions covered by the Payment Scheme are set out in Schedule 1 to the Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Act 2023.
Chapter 2 of the Social History section of the Commission of Investigation report - www.gov.ie/en/publication/89e43-chapter-2-institutions/ - details the different types of institutions that existed and whether they could be considered Mother and Baby Institutions.
The question concerns an unnamed orphanage, but orphanages were not investigated by the Commission of Investigation because they were not typically institutions that provided ante and post-natal facilities. For this reason they are not included in the Payment Scheme.
The Government recognises that there are people who suffered stigma, trauma and abuse in other institutions. If it were to come to light that an institution, in which the State had a regulatory or inspection function, fulfilled a similar function with regard to single women and their children as those included in the Payment Scheme, section 49 of the Act provides that the Minister, with the consent of the Minister for Public Expenditure, may insert an additional institution into the Schedule.
It should be noted that the Payment Scheme is just one of a large suite of actions being undertaken to respond to the legacy of these institutions under the Action Plan for Survivors and Former Residents of Mother and Baby and County Home Institutions. Of the seven major commitments set out in the Action Plan, six are now delivered and in place, while the seventh is well underway. Key actions include access to birth information, the services of the Special Advocate and counselling support, all already in place, as well as the ongoing development of a National Centre for Research and Remembrance.
1030. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to provide an update on securing a residential placement for a person (details supplied) [12435/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this question refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly.
1031. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she has received any update from the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage regarding Tailte Éireann sending commercial rates bills to pre-schools operating under the ECCE scheme; whether this is now the standard for all ECCE pre-schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12439/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder Irish law there is a distinct separation of functions between the valuation of rateable property and the setting and collection of commercial rates. The commercial rates payable on a particular property is a product of the valuation of that property determined by Tailte Éireann multiplied by the “Annual Rate on Valuation” (ARV) which is set annually by the elected members of the local authority as part of its budgetary process. The billing and collection of rates is solely a matter for the relevant local authority. Tailte Éireann has no function in that regard.
Engagement with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage is ongoing. I have met with my cabinet colleague, Minister Browne, on this important matter.
1032. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if additional supports will be granted to assist childcare and early learning centres unable to recruit staff (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12498/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe role of the early years educator and school-age childcare practitioner are valuable ones, and they play an important part in supporting children's development, learning and care. It is acknowledged that those working in the early learning and care and school-age childcare sector do not receive the recognition they deserve.
In a very competitive labour market and with low levels of unemployment, recruitment and retention is a challenge for all employers.
Data from the 2025 Annual Early Years Sector Profile survey shows turnover in Kerry has fallen from 25.3% in 2023 to 24.7% in 2025. I should also note that new data shows the number of educators/practitioners working with children in Kerry has increased by over 10% for the same period.
However, it is acknowledged many early learning and childcare services report recruitment and retention challenges. In general, these challenges are not caused by insufficient supply of staff, but by high levels of turnover.
Although the Government is the primary funder of the sector, it is not the employer and cannot directly set wages or conditions.
The Joint Labour Committee is the formal mechanism established by which employer and employee representatives can negotiate minimum pay rates, which are set down in Employment Regulation Orders, and is independent in its functions.
Outcomes from the Joint Labour Committee process are supported by Government through Core Funding. In this programme year 2025/26 Core Funding has increased by 6% to approximately €350 million with an additional €45 million in ring-fenced Core Funding provided to support early learning and care services in meeting the increased cost of minimum pay rates in the sector.
I recently announced, as part of launch of Shaping the Future: Early Years Action Plan in December, another allocation of up to €15m of ring-fenced funding from September 2026, which amounts up to €45m for the full programme year, to support service providers with costs associated with possible increases in minimum rates of pay negotiated via the independent Joint Labour Committee process. Consequently, over 2 years, the Department has made an allocation of €90 million available to support possible increased rates of pay.
In December 2023, a Sub-Group of the Early Learning and Childcare Stakeholder Forum was established to address recruitment and retention challenges. The group has advanced initiatives including:
• A Student Fast-track Process for recognition of studies to work in service out of term.
• The assessment of unfinished qualifications, where people who may have started a relevant qualification but did not get to finish it, can have what they completed assessed for meeting qualification requirements.
• An agreement to promote careers in the sector.
To further support staff retention, the Nurturing Skills Learner Fund enables educators who continue to work within the sector to pursue Level 7 and 8 qualifications by funding over 90% of their tuition costs. Over 700 staff are now supported through the NSLF scheme.
The NSLF scheme demonstrates how we are already delivering on our Programme for Government commitment to ‘remove barriers in education and training for early years educators to broaden access to the profession.
Complementing wider Departmental policies to improve pay and working conditions, to support recruitment and retention, and to streamline administration and regulation, Equal Start was launched in early 2024. Equal Start includes a commitment to roll out well-being supports for Managers, educators and practitioners and supports for early learning and care and school-age childcare settings to enable more supportive working environments to be created for staff. There is a commitment to roll out an employee assistance programme nationally in the future.
1033. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the reason a location (detail supplied) was omitted from the mother and baby institutions payment scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12533/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme provides payments and health benefits to people who spent time in any of the Mother and Baby or County Home Institutions that were identified by the Mother and Baby Homes Commission of Investigation as having a main function of providing sheltered and supervised ante and post-natal facilities to single mothers and their children. The institutions covered by the Payment Scheme are set out in Schedule 1 to the Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Act 2023.
Chapter 2 of the Social History section of the Commission of Investigation report - www.gov.ie/en/publication/89e43-chapter-2-institutions/ - details the different types of institutions that existed and whether they could be considered Mother and Baby Institutions. Nazareth House, Sligo, was identified as a “residential children’s home”. It was not investigated by the Commission of Investigation because it was not an institution that provided ante and post-natal facilities. For this reason it is not included in the Payment Scheme.
The Government recognises that there are people who suffered stigma, trauma and abuse in other institutions. If it were to come to light that an institution, in which the State had a regulatory or inspection function, fulfilled a similar function with regard to single women and their children as those included in the Payment Scheme, section 49 of the Act provides that the Minister, with the consent of the Minister for Public Expenditure may insert an additional institution into the Schedule.
It should be noted that the Payment Scheme is just one of a large suite of actions being undertaken to respond to the legacy of these institutions under the Action Plan for Survivors and Former Residents of Mother and Baby and County Home Institutions. Of the seven major commitments set out in the Action Plan, six are now delivered and in place, while the seventh is well underway. Key actions include access to birth information, the services of the Special Advocate and counselling support, all already in place, as well as the ongoing development of a National Centre for Research and Remembrance.
1034. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to outline the current Government policy in respect of domestic adoption and intercountry adoption. [12545/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAdoption policy in Ireland is framed by the provisions of the Adoption Act 2010 as amended and by the 1993 Hague Convention on the Protection of Children and Co-Operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption which has the force of law in the State.
Under the 2010 Act, the Adoption Authority of Ireland is the only body that can grant or refuse adoption orders in Ireland. It is also the only body that can grant the declarations of eligibility and suitability that are required by prospective parents before they can adopt a child. In line with the 1993 Hague Convention, the Authority is also the ‘Central Authority’ for intercountry adoption and is responsible for the registration of foreign adoptions under Irish law.
As section 19 of the 2010 Act makes clear, the best interests of the child are the paramount consideration in any decisions about adoption in Ireland. Adoption is a service for children.
Most domestic adoptions in Ireland involve the recognition of already existing relationships. Of the 101 domestic adoption orders made in 2025, 50 involved a child’s being adopted by a stepparent and 38 involved a child's being adopted by their foster parent(s). There were only 5 infant adoptions and 7 adoptions by members of a child’s extended family. (There was 1 ‘foreign to domestic adoption’, where a child, born abroad, was subsequently adopted in Ireland.)
Ireland only engages in intercountry adoption with other signatories to the 1993 Hague Convention. The purpose of the Convention is to ensure that intercountry adoptions are made in the best interests of the child and with respect for his or her fundamental rights. It seeks to protect children and their families from the risks of illegal, irregular, premature or ill-prepared adoptions abroad and to prevent the abduction, sale or trafficking of children.
There were 15 intercountry adoptions completed in 2025, reflecting a continued trend of decreasing numbers of intercountry adoptions worldwide. In recent years, a number of countries have ceased, suspended or restricted the practice of intercountry adoptions or have begun the process to do so. The Department is closely monitoring and reviewing developments in both sending and receiving countries, in terms of emerging trends and international best practice. As with adoption generally, the best interests of the child must be the overriding consideration in intercountry adoptions.
The Department is currently engaged in a two-year project (2024-2026) to develop an evidence-based, best practice framework and a roadmap for reform of domestic adoption in Ireland. The project is supported by UNICEF in collaboration with the European Commission’s Reform and Investment Task Force (SG REFORM) and is funded by the European Commission under the Technical Support Instrument. The project is expected to be completed in Quarter 4 2026 and will inform future policy development.
1035. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to provide an update on the progress made on each Programme for Government commitment relating to childcare since the formation of Government, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12564/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra1036. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to provide an update on the progress made on each Programme for Government commitment relating to childcare in 2026, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12565/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 1035 and 1036 together.
1037. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to address a matter raised in correspondence (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12639/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am aware of the correspondence that has been sent out by Guardians ad litem across the country regarding the set up of the new Guardian ad litemNational Service.
The Guardian ad litem National Service is a nationally organised and managed service established to ensure that children’s voices are heard, and their best interests are independently presented to the court in child care proceedings, by an appointed Guardian ad litem. The Guardian ad litem National Service, as provided for under the Child Care (Amendment) Act 2022, will come into effect mid-2026, following Ministerial approval.
The Child Care (Amendment) Act 2022, which provides for reform of the Guardian ad litem system, was signed into law on 19 July 2022, replacing the existing provision in Section 26 of the 1991 Child Care Act. The passing of this legislation enables this Department to establish the Guardian ad litem National Service as an Executive Office. This long-promised reform will promote high professional standards, quality assurance mechanisms, complaints processes and provide training to ensure a consistent service for children in all parts of the country.
The independence of Guardians ad litemin the performance of their functions is a legislative requirement and a core value of the role. The Child Care (Amendment) Act 2022 clearly states that Guardians ad litem must act independently in their professional judgment and function. The standards, code of conduct and other policies and procedures will put the structures in place to ensure this independence at an operational level. Guardians ad litemhave been invited to contribute to these policies at in-person consultation events in February 2026.
Under the new model, Guardians ad litemwill be appointed from an authorised panel, following a court order arising from childcare proceedings. This approach reinforces their independence from Tusla and other agencies. While both bodies operate within the remit of this Department, their functions, statutory roles, and operational mandates are independent. The oversight and operations of Tusla and the Guardian ad litem Executive Office are currently and will remain separate entities.
Throughout the pre commencement process the Guardian ad litemNational Service has been in regular contact with the Association of Guardians ad litemIreland (AGALI) including letters, emails and meetings. The Guardian ad litemNational Service also holds a fortnightly meeting with AGALI in order to guarantee that knowledge sharing is in place and to ensure the service is established with the best interest of the child at its heart. The Minister is scheduled to meet with AGALI on the 24th of February to discuss their concerns.
A project implementation plan has been developed for the commencement of the new service, and this includes capacity planning and resourcing measures to prevent waitlists and any other potential issues that have arisen in similar circumstances abroad. This Department remains committed to maintaining timely access to Guardians ad litemfor all children.
Throughout the establishment of the Guardian ad litemNational Service, the Executive Office has maintained regular engagement and consultation with current Guardians, including a formal request to Guardian ad litemorganisations to recruit staff to support pre-commencement activities. These options were declined. Guardians ad litemwere also invited to apply for the Head Guardian ad litem, regional manager and the professional practice manager posts undertaken by the Public Services Appointment.
The Guardian ad litem National Service remains committed to ensuring that the new service will offer structural safeguards of a Guardian ad litem’s independence and the Department is committed to having a robust staffing model to provide the best possible service to children in Ireland.
Children, and their best interests, are at the centre of the Guardian ad litemNational Service. The National Service is committed to working with all stakeholders so there is a smooth transition for children into the new service.
1038. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the position regarding any grant funding available that an organisation (details supplied) could apply for to support the provision of free Montessori facilities in their community space; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12726/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraState investment in early learning and childcare will be €1.37 billion in 2025, an increase of 115% over since 2020.
The majority of this funding is allocated through Together for Better, the funding model for early learning and childcare. This brings together the ECCE programme, the Access and Inclusion Model (AIM), Equal Start, the National Childcare Scheme (NCS) and Core Funding to form an interlocking and integrated system of funding, which is designed to ensure progress on the main goals of early learning and childcare policy.
The ECCE programme is a universal programme, available free of charge to all children for up to two years before starting primary school, on a part-time basis (3 hours per day, 38 weeks per year). With 96% of children taking part, it is nearly universal in its reach, providing valuable early learning and play experiences in early childhood for nearly all children, regardless of social background.
To help realise the universal ambition of the ECCE programme, AIM was introduced in 2016, providing both universal and targeted supports to facilitate access, to and participation in, the programme for children with a disability. Since September 2024, ECCE-age children can benefit from AIM supports outside of ECCE programme hours – in term and out.
Similar to AIM, Equal Start was introduced in September 2024 providing both universal and targeted measures to support access to, and participation in, early learning and childcare for children from disadvantaged backgrounds. The NCS, introduced in 2019, complements the ECCE programme, providing subsidies to reduce the costs to parents for children to participate in early learning and care outside the ECCE programme and in school-age childcare. The NCS combines both universal and targeted measures:
• A universal subsidy – which increased to €2.14 per hour in September 2024 – significantly reduces net costs for parents.
• An income-assessed subsidy, which provides higher rates of subsidy to families with lower incomes. Income-assessed subsidies are available to families with reckonable income below €60,000 per year.
The NCS also provides free access to early learning and childcare. In particular, the scheme includes arrangements for specified target groups to receive free access, where referred by a sponsor body. Finally, Core Funding was introduced in 2022 and is designed to meet the combined objectives of:
• Improved affordability for parents by ensuring that fees do not increase;
• Improved accessibility for children by ensuring providers offer the ECCE programme and/or the NCS, including sponsored arrangements; and
• Improved quality through, inter alia, better pay and conditions for the workforce by supporting agreement on an Employment Regulation Orders through the Joint Labour Committee.
When first introduced in 2022, Core Funding had an annual allocation of €259 million; €210.8 million of which was entirely new funding to the sector. That annual allocation has increased each year since and has exceeded €390 million for the current fourth year of the Scheme. This represents an increase of over 50% in Core Funding in three years.
Since its introduction, Core Funding has supported:
• The introduction of a fee freeze at September 2021 levels, which has ensured increases to NCS subsidies were fully felt by parents.
• The introduction of three Employment Regulation Orders for the Early Years Services Sector providing minimum hourly rates of pay for early years educators and SAC practitioners, which resulted in improved pay for an estimated 73% of those working in the sector in September 2022, for an estimated 53% of those working in the sector in June 2024 and an estimated 67% of staff working in the sector in October 2025.
• Significant growth in capacity for cohorts and in areas where there is undersupply, allowing greater access for children and their families.
Further investment in Core Funding was announced in Budget 2026. The additional funding will see the allocation for Core Funding in the next programme year, which begins in September 2026, increase to over €480 million. That is an additional €87.6 million on the current full year allocation, or a 22% increase.
The Government is also supporting the expansion of capacity through capital funding. The Building Blocks Extension Grant Scheme is designed to increase capacity in the 1–3-year-old, pre–Early Childhood Care and Education, age range for full day care. Core Funding Partner Services could apply for capital funding to physically extend their premises or to construct or purchase new premises. The Scheme will deliver up to 1,500 full-day care places for 1- to 3-year-olds.
I recently announced €135 million of capital investment over the coming five years for State-led services to provide high-quality, accessible early learning and childcare. The process will begin in 2026 with investment in buildings in what will be a ground-breaking initiative. There will be a particular focus in the new state-led facilities on providing places for 1-3 year old children because this is where the need is greatest.
Finally the Department provides a range of supports for individuals and organisations that wish to explore establishing an early learning and childcare service. In particular the Department funds the national network of City and County Childcare Committees (CCCs). Committees employ Development Officers who will provide support and information on a range of relevant matters including:
• Start up business support including information on DCDE Funding programmes.
• Tusla Registration
• Regulatory Guidance
• Inspection Support
CCC contact details can be found on: www.gov.ie - City and County Childcare Committees: www.gov.ie/en/publication/52b71-support-for-parents-city-and-county-childcare-committees/.
1039. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the position regarding any research carried out by her Department into the merits of banning smart phones for under 16s; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12820/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Department has not undertaken any research in relation to restrictions on the use of smart phones.
Growing Up in Ireland is the national longitudinal study of children and young people. This study provides data on the issues facing children and young people today. Details of external research publications can be found at the Growing Up in Ireland website: www.growingup.gov.ie.
