Written Answers Nos. 158-177
159. Deputy Gillian Toole asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the funding stream his Department provides to enable children of farming families access equine assisted therapies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46407/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department does not provide any direct funding to enable children of farming families to access equine assisted therapies.
160. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the current number of WTEs; and the current number of WTEs vacant in the CDNTs of CHO7, in tabular form. [46213/26]
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.
161. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to report on the lack of speech and language therapy available for children in CDNT2 Ballyboden of CHO7; the date by which services will be resumed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46214/26]
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.
162. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of adults with disabilities within the catchment of the Dublin and Midlands Health Region awaiting a residential placement, by integrated healthcare area, in tabular form. [46005/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra163. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of adults with disabilities originally from communities within the Dublin and Midlands Health Region catchment who are currently placed in residential disability services more than 50km and more than 100km from their family or community of origin; and the reason for these placements where recorded, in tabular form. [46006/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra164. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of adults with disabilities within the catchment of the South-West Health Region awaiting a residential placement, by integrated healthcare area, in tabular form. [46007/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra165. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of adults with disabilities originally from communities within the South-West Health Region catchment who are currently placed in residential disability services more than 50km and more than 100km from their family or community of origin; and the reason for these placements where recorded, in tabular form. [46008/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra166. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of adults with disabilities within the catchment of the Mid-West Health Region awaiting a residential placement, by integrated healthcare area, in tabular form. [46009/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra167. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of adults with disabilities originally from communities within the Mid-West Health Region catchment who are currently placed in residential disability services more than 50km and more than 100km from their family or community of origin; and the reason for these placements where recorded, in tabular form. [46010/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra168. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of adults with disabilities within the catchment of the West and North-West Health Region awaiting a residential placement, by integrated healthcare area, in tabular form. [46011/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra169. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of adults with disabilities originally from communities within the West and North-West Health Region catchment who are currently placed in residential disability services more than 50km and more than 100km from their family or community of origin; and the reason for these placements where recorded, in tabular form [46012/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 162, 163, 164, 165, 166, 167, 168 and 169 together.
I 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.
170. Deputy Tom Brabazon asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her Department is aware of concerns of childcare providers and parents over the core funding system and the fee structure of the scheme; and the actions her Department is taking to address these concerns. [46057/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraCore Funding offers supply-side funding to service providers to support them with their operational costs. Core Funding operates alongside all other early learning and childcare programmes and constitutes additional income to services on top of these programmes (and parental fees) towards a service’s operating costs. It is designed to deliver:
• Affordability for parents through ensuring no increases in fees, capping the maximum fees that can be charged, and offering the National Childhood Scheme (NCS) and the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme to all eligible children;
• Quality in services, including through better terms and conditions for staff and supporting graduate leadership in services; and
• Sustainability for providers through substantially increased funding to the sector, paid on a consistent and equitable basis.
The introduction of Core Funding in 2022 brought a significant increase in investment for the sector, with €259 million of funding paid directly to services in year 1 of the scheme, of which €210.8 million was entirely new funding to the sector.
Core Funding has seen consistent increased State investment to the sector year on year. Core Funding increased by 11% to reach €287m for the second year, and by a further 15% to €331m for the third year of the scheme. The allocation of this additional funding in year 2 and 3 of was informed by the data from previous years, feedback from stakeholders as well as an independent financial review of sessional services by Frontier Economics.
Moreover, changes to fee management were introduced in year 3, enabling low fee services to apply for a fee increase.
That annual allocation has increased each year since and exceeds €390 million for the fourth and current year of Core Funding. This represents an increase of over 50% in Core Funding over three years. The additional funding is supporting further capacity growth, the maintenance of a fee management system to benefit families and significant improvements to pay and conditions in this valued sector.
Within the Core Funding allocation for the 2025/26 programme year, €45 million has been ringfenced to support employers in meeting the costs of further increases to the minimum rates of pay in the sector, as set out under the Employment Regulation Orders.
This allocation supports an average of a 10% increase to minimum hourly rates of pay for all roles outlined in the Employment Regulation Order that came into effect on October 13 2025. It is estimated that 67% of staff working in the sector will have seen their wages increase as a result of these new minimum pay rates.
I was delighted to announce further investment in Core Funding in Budget 2026. The additional funding being made available in 2026 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 €90 million on the current full year allocation, or a 23% increase.
This increased investment will allow for further increases in capacity across the sector, with €20.6 million specifically set aside to support Partner Services in adhering to Core Funding fee management conditions, including reductions in the maximum fee caps, from September 2026. This will guarantee that Core Funding’s monetary protections will continue to be passed on to families while ensuring sustainability and stability for the sector.
The increased allocation also includes €45 million to facilitate improved pay for early years educators and school-age childcare practitioners through enhancement of the Employment Regulation Orders in Year 5 of the scheme.
The majority of Core Funding is distributed to services via the Base Rate, which is based on a service’s staffed capacity – the opening hours, operating weeks, the age group for whom services are provided, and the number of places available. Core Funding allocations are based on staffed places, not on child registrations and attendance levels. Places do not have to be filled in order to be allocated Core Funding, but for capacity to be funded, there must be enough staff in place to satisfy the minimum staff to child ratios as set in the Regulations made under the Child Care Act 1991. This provides services a guaranteed minimum income, supporting stability where attendance may be fluctuating.
Although the cost of delivery components such as improvements to staff pay have been used to derive the base rates, the eligible areas of expenditure of the Core Funding grant are much broader.
The Department has also made changes to improve the sustainability of providers through, for example, targeted measures for small and sessional services, and a fee increase assessment and approval process for services with fees frozen at unsustainably low rates.
Adherence to the Core Funding fee management system is a primary condition of receiving the significant State funding that is available through the Scheme. The fee management system requires compliance with a fee freeze and the maximum fee caps.
The continued development of the fee management system forms part of a phased process of transformation founded in the recommendations made by the Expert Group in the 2021 report Partnership for the Public Good.
The Department is conscious of the importance of promoting affordability for parents without compromising the viability of businesses in the sector, and appropriate safeguards are carefully considered during planning for new developments.
Participation in Core Funding also unlocks access to enhanced support for services caring for concentrated numbers of children facing disadvantage. Equal Start is a funding model and set of associated universal and targeted measures to support access and meaningful participation in early learning childcare for children and their families who experience disadvantage.
Partner Services also have access to Building Blocks capital grants. The Building Blocks Capital Programme is designed to support services to expand their existing facilities by creating additional, full time, early learning and care spaces.
I do not want any provider to be faced with financial sustainability issues in their delivery of early learning and childcare services. To support services, there are wider financial supports available from the Department. Where a service is experiencing financial difficulty or has viability concerns, these can be accessed while remaining within Core Funding.
This support can take the form of assisting services with interpreting analysis of staff ratios and cash flow, financial support, as well as more specialised advice and support appropriate to individual circumstances.
These supports can be accessed by any Core Funding Partner Service by contacting their local County/City Childcare Committee.
I encourage all services to avail of these supports as an alternative to withdrawing from Core Funding and removing these invaluable services from children and their families.
I am confident in the adequacy of Core Funding for this sector. However, there is a safety net in place for the small number of services who may for any number of reasons require additional supports, to ensure that they can continue to provide this vital service for the public good without needing to withdraw the benefits that Core Funding achieves for parents such as fee freezes and caps.
171. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the supports that are available to a childcare facility in a rural village that must find a more appropriate or purpose built facility to continue providing a childcare service in the area; the supports that are available to ensure this facility does not close; the supports that will be available to parents seeking childcare in the area when all childcare facilities in the wider area are full; if her Department will work with the community to ensure the continuance of the childcare facility; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46077/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraImproving access to quality and affordable early learning and childcare is a key priority of Government.
Early learning and childcare capacity is increasing. Data from the Annual Early Years Sector Profile 2024/25 shows that the estimated number of enrolments increased by approximately 25% from the 2021/22 programme year. However, it appears that demand for early learning and childcare remains higher than available supply in certain parts of the country, particularly for younger children.
The Department continues to support the ongoing development and resourcing of Core Funding which has given rise to a significant expansion of places since the scheme was first introduced. Core Funding, which is in its fourth programme year, funds services based on the number of places available.
This provides stability to services, and reduces the risk associated with opening a new service or expanding an already existing service.
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.
Following on from the success of the Building Blocks Extension Grant Scheme, a further Building Blocks scheme will open for applications in 2026. This round of capital funding will focus on funding extensions to existing premises to allow for increased numbers of children to be offered places on a full-time basis. Community and private providers who are currently Core Funding partner services will be eligible to apply for this scheme. Details can be found here: www.gov.ie/en/department-of-children-disability-and-equality/publications/building-blocks-extension-scheme-phase-2/.
Separately, 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. A suite of appraisal tools have been developed, including a Forward Planning Model, in order to select projects that align with programme objectives.
Up to eight buildings will be selected for investment this year. The State-led initiative will provide thousands of places up to 2030.
The Department also funds 30 City/County Childcare Committees, which provide support and assist families and early learning and childcare providers. The network of 30 City/County Childcare Committees across the country can assist in identifying vacant places in services for children and families who need them and engage proactively with services to explore possibilities for expansion among services, particularly where there is unmet need.
Parents experiencing difficulty in relation to their early learning and childcare needs should contact their local City/County Childcare Committee for assistance. The contact details for the City and County Childcare Committee may be found at: www.gov.ie/en/department-of-children-disability-and-equality/publications/city-and-county-childcare-committees/.
I do not want any Provider to be faced with financial sustainability issues in their delivery of early learning and childcare services. To support services, there are wider financial supports available from the Department. Where a service is experiencing financial difficulty or has viability concerns, these can be accessed while remaining within Core Funding.
This support can take the form of assisting services with interpreting analysis of staff ratios and cash flow, financial support, as well as more specialised advice and support appropriate to individual circumstances.
Any service who would like support should contact their CCC to access case management supports. Contact details for all City and County Childcare Committees are available on the gov.ie website.
172. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality further to Parliamentary Nos.1700, 1701, 1702, 1703 1704 of 9 June 2026, to provide details and the content of each phase of the implementation plan for the Pay Transparency Directive; whether these phases will require new or supplementary legislation to existing legislation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46118/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraI want to thank the Deputy for his follow up question and reiterate that the Government is fully committed to the complete and meaningful implementation of the Pay Transparency Directive. The Gender Pay Gap Information Act 2021 transposed a large portion of the Directive, particularly in relation to Article 9 on Gender Pay Gap Reporting. Partial Transposition of the Directive has been notified to the EU Commission.
As noted in my previous response, work is ongoing to develop the necessary legislation to transpose the remaining provisions of the Directive. This will be done by primary legislation, and due to the legislative process it is not possible to give a definite timeline for the transposition.
The Department will work with employers, employees and their representatives to support and enable implementation of the Directive, which will be on a phased basis once the passage of the legislation is complete. Employers will not be penalised for not having all elements of Directive in place in advance of this, and the Department has been working with stakeholders to communicate this message. At present, employers will remain obligated to calculate and publish information on their gender pay gap by the end of November and, following a small amendment to the gender pay gap legislation, employers will be obligated to report that information to the Minister via the dedicated Gender Pay Gap Portal for the 2026 Reporting Cycle.
173. Deputy Gillian Toole asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the reason children with disabilities requiring push chairs to enable inclusion in family and school activities or outings are being refused access to same by Children's Disability Network Teams on grounds of restraint; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46406/26]
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.
174. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Health whether a regional director of health and social care professionals, or equivalent regional HSCP leadership role, has been appointed in each of the six HSE health regions; the title of the post in each region; the date on which the post was created or first filled; whether the appointment is permanent, temporary, acting or interim; the duration of any interim or temporary appointment; whether the postholder is undertaking the role on a full-time basis or in addition to another role; the existing role of the postholder where applicable; the reporting line for the post; and the remit and responsibilities of the role in each region, in tabular form. [45978/26]
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.
175. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Health in respect of every appointment made to a regional director of health and social care professionals, or equivalent regional HSCP leadership role, in each HSE health region, to provide the full details of the appointment process in each individual instance; whether the post was filled by open competition, confined competition, internal competition, expression of interest, direct appointment, acting-up arrangement or other mechanism; the date the competition or expression of interest opened and closed; the precise grades, staff groups or individuals to whom the opportunity was circulated; the method by which it was circulated; whether the post was advertised nationally, regionally or locally; and, where no competition or expression of interest took place, the reason no such process took place, in tabular form. [45979/26]
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.
176. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Health to provide, for each HSE health region, a copy or summary of the relevant expression of interest, competition notice, job specification, circular, email or other written communication by which applications or interest were sought for the regional director of health and social care professionals, or equivalent regional HSCP leadership role; the date and distribution list for each such communication; and, where no such written communication exists, to state this explicitly for each region. [45980/26]
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.
177. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Health when the National Cancer Strategy Implementation Reports for 2024 and 2025 will be published; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45981/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra178. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Health when the evaluation for the National Cancer Strategy 2017-2026 will commence; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45982/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra179. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Health the way in which patient representatives, clinicians and advocacy groups will be involved in a review of the National Cancer Strategy 2017-2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45983/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra180. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Health when the development of the new National Cancer Strategy will start; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45984/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra181. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Health the way in which patient representatives, clinicians and advocacy groups will be involved in the development of the next National Cancer Strategy; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45985/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 177, 178, 179, 180 and 181 together.
The Government is committed to the implementation of the National Cancer Strategy, supported by the reforms and investment delivered under Sláintecare. We have seen significant progress on the implementation of the Strategy over the past nine years.
My Department has invested heavily in the National Cancer Strategy and associated initiatives in recent years, enabling the further development of our national cancer services, and leading to improved outcomes for cancer patients.
National Cancer Registry of Ireland data shows substantial progress being made to control the four major cancers (prostate, breast, lung and colorectal), with mortality rates falling or stabilising for each. These comprise over half of all invasive tumours (not including rarely fatal non-melanoma skin cancers).
It is essential that we continue to build on our investment and progress. As the current National Cancer Strategy comes to its conclusion, an evaluation on the current National Cancer Strategy will be carried out later this year. The evaluation will be carried out by my Department working closely with key stakeholders such as the HSE's National Cancer Control Programme and the National Cancer Registry of Ireland. Stakeholders also include patients and their families, healthcare professionals, government agencies, research institutions, advocacy groups, and the pharmaceutical industry, among others.
The evaluation will be informed by The National Cancer Strategy Implementation Reports which annually track the overall progress of the Strategy. The latest Implementation Reports are currently being prepared and finalised prior to publication shortly.
The conclusion of this evaluation process will inform next steps to be taken.
I will continue to work with the National Cancer Control Programme and other stakeholders to progress the actions contained in the strategy. Until satisfactory work has been completed on actions contained in the current strategy, and because the evaluation has not concluded, it would not be appropriate to set deadlines on development or completion of any new strategy.
