Written Answers Nos. 185-204
185. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the criteria under which a child is placed into special emergency arrangements; the extent foster parent’s concerns are considered when placing a child into special emergency arrangements; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40667/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraTusla has advised that in instances where an immediate place of safety is required for a young person, a special emergency arrangement (SEA) may be used. Young people may require an emergency placement following a serious breakdown in a home, foster care or residential care placement, and sometimes in the context of complex needs. While Tusla social workers make every attempt to listen to foster carers' concerns, it may not be possible, in every circumstance, to take their preferences into account in the context of acute placement breakdown.
The Government and the Department of Children are aware of the challenges faced by Tusla to provide suitable accommodation for all children in care, and are committed to continuing to provide whatever support to Tusla is necessary to address these challenges. Both Tusla and I share a common aim to meet the needs of all children in alternative care placements, to reduce reliance on SEAs and to minimise the length of time spent by any individual child in an SEA.
186. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the circumstances in which a child is assigned a guardian-ad-litem; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40668/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraI wish to that the Deputy for her question. A response will be provided directly to you in the coming days.
187. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the circumstances in which Tusla would decide to appeal a full care order passed down by a judge; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40669/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn the performance of its functions under the Child Care Act 1991, as amended, Tusla is required to regard the welfare of the child as the first and paramount consideration.
Care orders may be made of a specific period of time (interim care order) or until the child turns 18 (full care order). Full care orders are governed by section 18 of the Child Care Act 1991. It provides that a care order must be applied for by Tusla, the Child and Family Agency.
Under Section 18 of the Child Care Act 1991, the District Court can grant a Full Care Order if it is satisfied that a child requires care or protection that they are unlikely to receive unless the order is made. Specifically, the court must be satisfied that:
• the child has been or is being assaulted, ill-treated, neglected or sexually abused, or
• the child's health, development or welfare has been or is being avoidably impaired or neglected, or
• the child's health, development or welfare is likely to be avoidably impaired or neglected.
Given that Tusla apply for the full care order, it would not be for Tusla to appeal when the Court has made such an order.
188. Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 555 of 27 May 2025, the estimated average cost, per month, of full-day childcare, broken down by county, and the average cost nationally, for the most recently available time period, in tabular form. [40675/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraFee data is provided weekly and the National Childcare Scheme (NCS) awards are made on a weekly basis, therefore information below has also been provided on a weekly basis.
Two types of subsidies are available for children aged between 24 weeks and 15 years:
• A universal subsidy which is not means tested and provides €2.14 per hour, for a maximum of 45 weekly hours. A family using 45 hours of care a week who are in receipt of the universal subsidy would receive €96.30 off their weekly childcare fee.
• An income-assessed subsidy which may result in a higher hourly rate depending on factors such as the family income, child age and number of children in the family. Depending on these factors, rates may be awarded up to €5.10 per hour.
Families can use their NCS subsidy with any participating childcare provider, including childminders, who are registered with Tusla.
Each year Pobal compiles data from Early Learning and Care (ELC) and School Age Childcare (SAC) providers as part of the Early Years Sector Profile.
The most recently published fee data for the 2024/25 programme year indicates that the average (median) weekly fee per child before subsidies was €200.00 for full day early learning and care. As the distribution of fees is skewed, with most data points having low values and a few very high values influencing the mean, the median value is considered more representative of the mid-point of the data.
The fee data shows that there is a large degree of county-level variation in fees charged by services. Historically, fees have been higher in urban areas and along the East coast. The highest average fees for full day provision in 2024/25 were charged by services in Dublin – Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, where the average (median) full-time fees were reported at €265.83. The lowest average (median) full day fees (€160.00) were in Leitrim.
Table 1. Service reported average fees by county
|
County |
Median full-day weekly fee |
|
Carlow |
€163.80 |
|
Cavan |
€178.30 |
|
Clare |
€180.00 |
|
Cork City |
€228.21 |
|
Cork County |
€211.20 |
|
Donegal |
€187.50 |
|
Dublin – Dublin City |
€230.87 |
|
Dublin – Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown |
€265.83 |
|
Dublin – Fingal |
€247.90 |
|
Dublin – South Dublin |
€230.00 |
|
Galway |
€186.00 |
|
Kerry |
€188.88 |
|
Kildare |
€235.00 |
|
Kilkenny |
€183.30 |
|
Laois |
€180.00 |
|
Leitrim |
€160.00 |
|
Limerick |
€180.00 |
|
Longford |
€172.50 |
|
Louth |
€210.00 |
|
Mayo |
€181.96 |
|
Meath |
€211.76 |
|
Monaghan |
€165.00 |
|
Offaly |
€200.00 |
|
Roscommon |
€177.02 |
|
Sligo |
€178.30 |
|
Tipperary |
€170.00 |
|
Waterford |
€180.00 |
|
Westmeath |
€191.65 |
|
Wexford |
€185.00 |
|
Wicklow |
€253.58 |
|
National |
€200.00 |
*Average is calculated as the median value for all services
189. Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 1971 of 29 April 2025, the estimated cost of bringing early years graduates only NFQ Level 7, 8 and 9 under public-sector pay and conditions; and to provide an update. [40676/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe level of pay for early years educators and school-age childcare practitioners does not reflect the value of their work for children, families, society and the economy.
Although the Government is the primary funder of the sector, it is not the employer and cannot directly set wages or conditions for any staff in the sector.
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.
Pay and conditions are improving. Through the work of the JLC and successive ERO’s, minimum pay rates have now risen three times in four years, delivering an average 15% increase in minimum rates of pay. This marks significant progress in professionalising the workforce.
The latest ERO came into effect in October 2025 which saw an increase in minimum pay rates of, on average, 10% and will increase pay for over 67% of staff in the sector. 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 services in meeting the increased cost of minimum pay rates in the sector.
In line with the Programme for Government commitment to continue to support Employment Regulation orders, I recently 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.
The estimated annual costs of salaries for all staff with a National Framework of Qualifications Level 7 degree qualification or higher, based on data provided by Partner Services contracted to Core Funding in April 2026 was approximately €495 million.
• The cost estimate is based on staff details, including qualification level, recorded in service providers’ submissions for Core Funding, but the Core Funding data has been extrapolated to provide an estimate for all staff working in the sector.
• Cost estimates are based on the most recent data available to the Department which was provided by service providers in April 2026.
• The figure does not include the cost of public sector terms and conditions in relation to holiday pay or sick leave due to the complexities of mapping such conditions. However, a 21% employer cost has been included in the calculations to cover PRSI, Holiday pay, Sick Pay and Auto Enrolment Pension contributions)
• Calculations are based on wage-data available at a point in time. Some services may have increased wages more recently, which would reduce the cost to services of moving from current wage-rates to the propose wage rates in the question.
• The cost estimates only relate to staff and managers covered by the current Employment Regulation Orders, i.e. the estimates exclude the cost of ancillary staff or staff working with children with a qualification lower than a level 7.
• The figure provided does not take into account the income currently received by those working in the sector who are self-employed and who derive their income from profits rather than wages.
190. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the current waiting times for assessment of need for children in Cork north-west; the measures being taken to reduce delays; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40685/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThere has been intensive work by this Department and the HSE to address delays in the provision of Assessments of Need to children and their families.
Children do not require an Assessment of Need to access health services, including Primary Care, Children’s Disability Network Teams or Mental Health Services, or education supports.
However, demand for Assessments of Need has increased significantly in recent years, reflecting both the increase in population and 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 13,000 in 2025. Unfortunately, this demand is outpacing the capacity of the system to respond.
The HSE does not provide data on a constituency basis, however data is reported by Regional Health Area (RHA) and Local Health Office (LHO). The most recent figures for the Cork Local Health Offices are as below:
• 1,894 applications overdue for completion
• 164 of these were overdue for less a month
• 206 were overdue for between 1 and 3 month and
• The remainder, 1,524, were overdue by more than 3 months
These totals reflect the high number of applications received in these LHOs, with 552 applications received from January to March this year. In total, 2,056 applications were received in the area in 2025, compared to 1,568 in 2024, reflecting the growing demand for Assessment of Need nationally.
More positively, there has been continued improvement in the number of completed Assessment of Need reports, with 5,939 reports completed nationally in 2025. This is a 43% increase compared to the number completed in 2024. This improvement must continue.
In December 2025 Government announced a series of improvements 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 legislative reform and operational improvements to support the efficiency and effectiveness of the Assessment of Need process.
The proposed legislative changes will not remove any rights for parents to apply for an Assessment of Need for their child. They also will not alter the statutory six-month timeline set out in the Disability Act.
The General Scheme of the Disability (Amendment) Bill has been published on the Department’s website. An FAQ document
(www.gov.ie/en/department-of-children-disability-and-equality/publications/from-subject-received-size-categories-aoife-carragher-dcde-fw-dcde-website-aon-1532-1-mb/) has also been published, providing information on Assessment of Need and the proposed changes for parents and any other interested stakeholders.
It is important to recognise that legislation is only a part of the response. The Department is working with the HSE to identify further opportunities to enhance processes, improve training, and increase administrative supports for HSE Assessment Officers who are responsible for the production of assessment reports.
The HSE is also implementing actions to address the wider issue of access to services and supports for children with disabilities including:
• Introduction of a Single Point of Access system by the HSE. This should make it easier for families to be referred to the right service, whether that is primary care, CDNT or mental health services. It aims to streamline referrals and reduce duplication, so children do not end up on multiple waiting lists.
• Launch of the Autism Assessment and Intervention Pathways Protocol. The Protocol will provide a standardised assessment process across primary care, mental health and disability services. It will be the preferred assessment route for autism.
• The creation of eleven new HSE teams, initially, to support assessment processes, including AON, providing clinical guidance and administrative supports.
The provision of an effective and efficient Assessment of Need system continues to be a priority for the Government.
191. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if additional funding is being provided to expand disability day services in rural communities experiencing increased demand; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40687/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraHSE-funded day programmes for people with intellectual disabilities, autism, or complex physical disabilities include a range of centre-based and community-based activities. Access to services is based on an individual’s needs rather than on their diagnosis. The focus is on supporting people to participate in the mainstream activities and in the life of their community, in line with their wishes and needs.
Day services are a vital support for adult with disabilities to participate in the life of their community and to realise their own ambitions and desires. The majority of young people due to leave school in a given year that require a HSE funded day service have been profiled by the end of the previous year to establish their support needs. Once needs are identified, referrals are made to the service provider of choice, funding is committed and negotiations are concluded with providers by end of May to confirm placements to young people and their families. In many instances young people due to leave school at end of June are introduced to their day services for trialling purposes during April, May and June so there is a natural transition into day services in September.
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.
192. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the progress made on improving early intervention supports for children with additional needs in areas with limited service availability; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40688/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs 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.
193. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Health the number of children awaiting access to primary care psychology and speech and language therapy services in rural areas; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40686/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
194. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any national public awareness campaign relating to tick-borne illnesses and lyme disease has been undertaken since 2020; the associated annual expenditure; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40328/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra195. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the HSE maintains data on waiting times for infectious disease consultations relating to suspected lyme disease; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40332/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
196. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the Department funds or supports any Irish research projects relating to lyme disease, tick-borne illnesses, or long-term post-infectious complications; the funding allocated annually since 2020; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40334/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
197. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the number of hospital admissions annually associated with lyme disease, neurological lyme disease, lyme carditis or lyme arthritis from 2020 to 2026, in tabular form. [40336/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
198. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Health the number of dignity at work complaints made by HSE staff in each of the years 2021 to 2025 and to date in 2026, broken down by Health Region; the number upheld; and the average and longest time taken to conclude such complaints, in tabular form. [40354/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
199. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Health if the HSE has carried out a national audit or review since 2021 of its handling of staff bullying and grievance complaints; if compliance with stated timelines was assessed; the findings of any such review; and if she will publish them. [40355/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
200. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Health the number of active grievance complaints under the HSE grievance procedure as of 30 April 2026, broken down by health region; the date each grievance was submitted; the date on which a stage one hearing was held or is scheduled to be held; the duration between submission and the stage one hearing in each instance; and the number of cases in each health region where no stage one hearing has yet taken place, in tabular form. [40356/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
201. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Health if addressing bullying, low morale and dysfunctional grievance processes within the HSE will be included among the formal priorities for the incoming HSE CEO; if specific targets, timelines and reporting arrangements will be put in place; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40357/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
202. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Health the number of HSE staff at grade VII-general manager-equivalent and above against whom a dignity at work complaint was upheld who are currently employed by the HSE; the grade of the staff member concerned; the health region or national division in which they are employed; and if any such staff member was subsequently appointed, promoted or reassigned to a role involving line management of staff, in tabular form. [40358/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
203. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Health if she will urgently expedite an appointment for surgery on behalf of a person (details supplied). [40361/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder 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.
204. Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Health the infrastructure being planned and developed for the increase in population from circa 2,000 to circa 8,000 within the next one to three years in the Donore Avenue/South Circular Road area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40363/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy as soon as possible.
