Written Answers Nos. 72-94
72. Deputy Keira Keogh asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her Department has assessed the impact that the lack of affordable childcare could have on labour market participation, particularly among women; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [65982/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Government recognises that early learning and childcare are key supports to enable parents to participate in the labour market, education and their community.
There is a large and well-established body of international evidence that demonstrates the economic benefits of high-quality, affordable and accessible early learning and childcare. It is associated with broader societal impact through supporting economic activity, including greater workforce participation, particularly among women.
In addition to this, the Department part funds the Economic and Social Research Institute’s research and development on the updated Simulating Welfare, Income Tax Childcare and Health Policies (SWITCH) model. Their research has highlighted that the National Childcare Scheme is a progressive measure that improves the affordability of early learning and childcare in Ireland and improves opportunities to take up paid work.
Since the introduction of the National Childcare Scheme in 2019, the participation of women in the labour market has increased from 55.8% in 2019 to 61.3% in Q2 2026. It should also be noted that in the last five years, Ireland has made good progress in addressing gender gaps, with the European Institute of Gender Equality’s Gender Equality Index placing Ireland 6th in the EU in 2025, up from 8th amongst the EU Member States in 2020.
The National Strategy for Women and Girls 2025-2030 includes amongst its seven objectives for reducing inequalities between women and men the “Having a fair Share” objective, aimed at the financial empowerment of women, and the “Being Supported” objective, which focuses on supporting women who are giving and who are receiving care. As part of both these objectives, a major emphasis has been placed on expanding the flexibilities afforded to women, parents and carers in the workforce.
As regards affordable childcare, Shaping the Future: The Early Years Action Plan, Phase 1 report (2025) sets out measures to achieve key Programme for Government commitments on the affordability, quality, and accessibility of early learning and childcare. The Action Plan adopts a phased approach that enables action to be taken in 2026 while allowing adequate time for a broad public consultation and analysis on longer-term actions, which will be set out in a second report to be published by the end of 2026.
Two of the main objectives of Shaping the Future are to reduce parental fees to a maximum of €200 per month over the lifetime of the Government and to increase the supply of places, strengthening supply-side funding to support services’ sustainability and staff wages, while introducing State-led facilities to complement other measures to increase capacity which will support parents to participate in the labour market.
As set out in Phase 1 of Shaping the Future, from September 2026 fee-caps have been lowered further and enhancements to the income-assessed subsidies in the National Childcare Scheme have been introduced. These include increasing the lower income threshold from €26,000 to €34,000 and the upper threshold from €60,000 to €68,000, improving affordability for up to 47,000 children from lower-income families.
Phase 2 actions will be published later this year following analysis of the broad consultation currently being undertaken and will include a roadmap to reduce parental fees to a maximum of €200 per month over the lifetime of the Government.
73. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the assessment her Department has made of the potential discriminatory impact of the increasing move by Government Departments and public bodies towards online-only or predominantly digital access to public services and supports (details supplied); whether she accepts that equality of access requires meaningful non-digital alternatives where necessary; and the oversight or mechanism exists to ensure that public services being digitised do not create new barriers to accessing rights and entitlements. [65792/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy will be aware, responsibility for the overall policy framework governing digital public services across Government rests primarily with the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation. However, the following information may be helpful in relation to the approach of the Department of Children, Disability and Equality.
The Department recognises that digital access can make public services more accessible and convenient, but also that online channels may not be appropriate or sufficient for everyone. Older people, people with disabilities, people with lower levels of digital literacy, or people without reliable access to technology may face barriers if services are online-only. The Department therefore considers accessibility, equality and inclusion in the design and delivery of its services and communications.
The Department's website is an important access point for information on schemes, services and policy areas and provides clear public information in an accessible format. However, the Department does not regard digital channels as a substitute for other forms of engagement where these are required. Information and support are also provided through direct contact with relevant services via telephone, written correspondence, postal applications and broadcast media. The Department also undertakes in-person consultations, information sessions and stakeholder engagement events to ensure that people can participate through channels that best meet their needs.
One practical example is the Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme. Applications may be made online or by post, forms are available through Citizens Information Centres, and paper application forms may be requested by telephone. To date, approximately 58% of applications have been submitted online and 42% by post, demonstrating the continued importance of maintaining non-digital options alongside digital services.
The Department's Customer Service Charter includes commitments on accessibility, equality, courtesy and support for people with disabilities. Through consultations, stakeholder engagement and direct interaction with service users, the Department seeks to identify and address barriers to access, including those that may arise from digital delivery.
Public bodies are also subject to statutory obligations, including under the Equal Status Acts, which prohibit discrimination in the provision of services on any of the nine protected grounds, including age and disability, irrespective of whether services are delivered online, face-to-face, by telephone or by post. The Department's focus is on ensuring that its own services and initiatives are designed and communicated in a way that supports equality of access. This includes considering whether assisted digital supports or alternative channels are needed so that people can exercise rights and access entitlements in practice.
I am satisfied that equality of access requires meaningful non-digital alternatives where necessary, alongside supports that enable people to engage with digital services where they wish to do so. Digital transformation should broaden access and improve outcomes, while ensuring that appropriate supports and alternative access arrangements remain available.
74. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether she considers it acceptable that the HSE has been unable to provide complete national data on the distance from home at which children and adults with disabilities are placed in residential services, despite such information being available in some parts of the country; if adequate scrutiny can take place in relation to human rights, family and community connections, service planning and value for money in the absence of consistent national data; the steps she will take to ensure that this information is collected and published nationally; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [65594/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraI wish to thank Deputy Quaide for raising this question and providing me with an opportunity to speak on this matter.
The HSE have previously provided data on the distance from home at which children and adults with disabilities are placed in residential services from 5 out of 6 Regional Health Areas, with work ongoing to complete that dataset.
The HSE advise they are progressing a programme of digital transformation across disability services, including the implementation of new information management systems and enhanced reporting capability. As these systems become established, opportunities to expand the range and quality of data collected and reported will continue to be considered, including information that can support service improvement and future planning.
As Chair of the Disability Data Steering Group, I am focused on delivering a sustained programme of work on disability data enhancements. The Steering Group provides a forum for strategic engagement between the Department, the HSE and other stakeholders, helping to build a shared understanding of data priorities to improve our visibility of disability expenditure, service activity and personal outcomes. There is now a programme of data work supporting significant and real change across the system.
This Government is committed to ensuring that residential services for people with disabilities are safe, effective, and provide a home from home environment for residents.
Through a robust Governance Framework, the HSE works in partnership with organisations including Section 38, Section 39, Out of State and private organisations to ensure the best level of service possible is provided to people with a disability, and their families.
Demand for residential placements remains very high due for a number of reasons, including demographic challenges associated with the increase in the number of people living with a disability, changing support needs and the increasing age profile of those in existing placements.
Residential placements are based on greatest presenting need and potential associated risk/safeguarding. Following referral and assessment, available resources are allocated to disabled persons on the basis of priority need and available resources in consultation with the individual and their families.
The HSE advises that while every effort is made by the referring agency to ensure the provision of residential services is close to family and natural supports, taking will and preference into account, there are multiple important factors to be considered simultaneously, in order to achieve a residential placement that will best meet the unique and assessed needs and requirements of each individual.
Placement decisions are made in close consultation with individuals and families, incorporating clinical advice, personal preferences, and resource and service availability.
Funded placements undergo reviews focused on the individual’s satisfaction, wellbeing, continuity of supports, and engagement with personal planning processes, in accordance with the National Standards and Health Act regulations. Reviews also look at where a transition closer to home is the will and preference of the individual. These actions are aligned with the principles of the UNCRPD and HSE’s commitment to equality and human rights.
Disability Services do, where possible, actively prioritise locating individuals closer to their homes and families wherever feasible. Out of area placements typically occur in emergency situations where such arrangements best meet the disabled person’s needs at that time. The HSE are endeavouring to repatriate people back to their home region through capacity building.
It should be noted that while the Chief Inspector of Social Services within the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) does not have the remit to look at the specific issue of an individual’s distance from their original home, where inspectors see residents are away from their support network or having to travel extended distances to their family, work or school, it is addressed in inspection reports under Regulation 9, Residents’ rights and Regulation 13, General welfare and development.
This Government, along with the HSE, is committed to supporting people with disabilities and their families/carer(s) and will continue to work to provide and expand services to ensure people are provided with the necessary supports at the appropriate time.
Throughout 2026, the Department of Children, Disability and Equality is undertaking research and progressing policy development, with a view to developing a new policy framework for specialist residential services. The policy development process will consider a range of matters relevant to specialist residential services. This includes models of service which this Department is working in collaboration with Trinity Centre for Aging and the Life Course in Intellectual Disability on research into as part of the Department policy development.
75. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality following her meeting and engagement with an organisation (details supplied), the recent measures she and her Department have taken to address the key concerns of the organisation; and the way in which she intends to address the issues related to the future planning and care of adults with an intellectual disability. [65802/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAt the outset, I wish to acknowledge the ongoing commitment and dedication of all parents and carers involved with the ‘Before We Die' group and recognise their advocacy for increased residential service provision for people with disabilities.
Both Minister Foley and I have met with representatives from the group on a number of occasions, to listen carefully to their lived experiences and daily realities, and to gain a deeper understanding of the ongoing challenges faced by people with disabilities and their families.
The ambition of this Government is to bring about a step-change in services for people with a disability in Ireland and it is committed to the expansion and reform of disability services in order to maximise each individual’s independence and support them to live ordinary lives in ordinary places.
Since 2020, additional funding provided to the HSE has supported the creation of over 1,000 additional residential places for people with disabilities. These placements largely support people moving from their family home to a residential service and are in addition to transitions from congregated settings.
This Government, together with the HSE, acknowledges that demand for residential services continues to be very high and is committed to the ongoing development of residential services for those who need them.
In addition to funding existing placements, Budget 2026 provided an additional €65m to Disability Residential Services for new developments. As per the HSE’s National Service Plan 2026, this includes €40million of funding to provide in the region of 199 new residential responses (including 152 newly created residential placements consisting of 72 planned placements under a new initiative and 80 Priority one placements to meet urgent need).
Funding has also been provided for other residential responses: to facilitate both necessary enhancements which enables the uptake of vacant residential places by new individuals and also the additional funding required for individuals already in an existing placement, whose needs have become more complex.
Importantly, the HSE’s National Service Plan for 2026 places an increased emphasis on longer term planning for residential placements, including the provision of planned residential placements under a new initiative, with strengthened operational processes being put in place to respond to the current high demand.
In addition, the HSE is progressing work to recruit new housing co-ordinators and residential planning and review teams, as funded in recent budgets. Included within the role of these new posts is the coordination and oversight of the delivery of new residential placements and to plan for future placements, many of which will be delivered in Local Authority housing.
Minister Foley, Minister Browne and I, along with our officials, have made significant progress, through the implementation structures established under the National Housing Strategy for Disabled People 2022-2027, in improving coordination with the Local Authorities and disability service providers at local, regional and national level.
This includes working collaboratively to support the setting of targets in the upcoming local authority Housing Development Action Plans (HDAPs) for two cohorts of disabled people: those living more independently in the community, as well as those with greater support needs who require specialist disability residential services.
Further to the work outlined above, throughout 2026 the Department of Children, Disability and Equality is undertaking research and progressing policy development, with a view to developing a new policy framework for specialist residential services. The policy development process will consider a wide range of matters relevant to specialist residential services including models of service. Engagement and consultation with stakeholders, particularly those with lived experience, will be an important part of this policy development process.
76. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether she is aware that there are no available residential beds for children with disabilities in Cork city and that parents in crisis are being forced to leave their children in emergency departments because their calls for help are continuously ignored. [65643/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraFrom the outset, I would very much like to recognise the vital work carried out by families and those who are caring for children with disabilities, while also acknowledging the impact this has on a carers' physical and mental health. This Government is committed to providing and expanding a range of services to support children and adults with disabilities, and to support their families.
Budget 2026 represented a funding increase of €628 million, which was an increase of almost 20% compared to 2025. That Budget followed significant year-on-year funding increases, with an overall increase of €1.85 billion, or 91% since 2020. HSE Specialist Disability Services now has a record budget of €3.9 billion. This funding is supporting a range of services for people with disabilities, including day services, respite services, residential services, home support and personal assistance.
Regarding future funding, consideration of Specialist Disability Services and funding requirements occurs annually as part of the Estimates process. Engagement is currently ongoing between the Department of Children, Disability and Equality and the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation in respect of funding for 2027.
In respect of residential placements for children in County Cork, the HSE advises that the HSE's overarching policy approach for children with disabilities is that children should be supported to live at home with their families wherever possible.
In the South West region, children with complex needs are supported through Children's Disability Network Teams (CDNTs), which provide multidisciplinary assessment and intervention services.
Where families highlight additional support requirements, these needs are assessed and applications may be progressed for enhanced supports to enable children to remain safely at home.
Supports may include a range of day, evening and overnight respite options, based on assessed need and service availability.
Residential services for children with disabilities are regulated by HIQA and are generally intended for children with exceptionally complex care needs who require highly specialised support arrangements where community and family based supports are not sufficient to safely meet those needs.
There are currently very limited residential placement options available for children with disabilities within the South West region. Where a residential placement is identified as clinically required, the HSE works with available providers at local and national level to identify appropriate options based on assessed need and available capacity.
I am advised that HSE South West continues to engage at both local and national level to develop additional capacity and strengthen supports across the continuum of disability services, including respite, intensive community supports and specialist placements where required.
Families experiencing significant challenges are encouraged to maintain engagement with their local CDNT and relevant HSE services so that emerging needs can be assessed and appropriate interventions considered.
The HSE continues to encourage families to engage with local disability services to ensure that high-support needs and situations of family stress or crisis are identified at the earliest opportunity and considered through the appropriate clinical and service pathways.
Service demand continues to exceed current capacity in some areas. Ongoing efforts are focused on securing additional resources to support service development and address identified needs.
This Government is committed to support the HSE to support children and adults with disabilities through a range of services. The HSE continues to work locally and nationally to enhance capacity across disability services and improve access to appropriate supports for children and their families.
77. Deputy Edward Timmins asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to review the unfair situation where parents working in private industry are limited to parental leave to the age of 12 for their child, compared to age 16 for parents working in the public service. [65957/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThere have been significant developments in entitlements for working parents and families in recent years.
As the Deputy will be aware, under the Parental Leave Acts, employees are entitled to 26 weeks of unpaid parental leave for each eligible child. Parental leave may be taken until a child reaches 12 years of age, or until 16 years of age where the child has a disability or long-term illness.
These age thresholds are the minimum statutory entitlements established in legislation. There is no barrier preventing employers from increasing the age of the child for which parental leave can be taken or to increasing the amount of leave. The decision is exclusively a matter for employers.
Depending on an individual's contract of employment, they may have more extensive rights, as employers may provide an entitlement in excess of the statutory minimum, as is the case in the Civil Service where parents can avail of parental leave until the child turns 16. The HSE similarly allows parents to take parental leave for children up to 16.
Both parents have an equal and separate entitlement to parental leave. Where both parents work for the same employer, and where the employer agrees, one parent may transfer up to 14 weeks of their parental leave entitlement to the other parent.
In addition to unpaid parental leave, the Parent's Leave and Benefit Act 2019 provides for nine weeks of paid Parent's Leave for each relevant parent, to be taken within the first two years following the birth or adoption of a child.
The Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2023 introduced further supports for working families, including leave for medical care purposes and the right for parents and carers to request flexible working arrangements.
The Programme for Government - Securing Ireland's Future - commits to examining the extension of Parent's Leave and Benefit and additional flexibilities. The National Strategy for Women and Girls 2025–2030 sets out objectives aimed at reducing inequalities, including disparities in caring responsibilities. Its first Action Plan was published on 5th August and includes actions to support working families in balancing the competing demands of family and work.
Family leave provisions are kept under review to ensure that they remain effective and responsive to the needs of families, while taking account of their impact on workplaces.
78. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will expand the mother and baby institutions payment scheme to include survivors who are currently excluded. [65898/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Department of Children is responsible for overseeing the administration of the Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme. It must do this in line with the legislative scope and intent of the Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Act, as enacted by the Oireachtas. Its eligibility criteria include what institutions are included in the scheme and time spent in any of those institutions.
The institutions included in the Scheme were those 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.
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 non-adversarial Payment Scheme acknowledges circumstances experienced while resident in a Mother and Baby institution and the associated conditions, shame and stigma endured.
An additional 170 people have applied for the Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme since the launch of a nationwide public awareness campaign on 24 August. This is a welcome increase and represents a 360% or fourfold increase in the weekly rate of applications, from an average of 14 per week prior to the launch of the campaign to 58 in the first week of the campaign.
It brings the number of applicants to the scheme to almost 7,600, with over 5,500 payments made under the scheme so far.
The Scheme has recorded marked increases in applications, calls to its new confidential Freephone service, requests for paper application forms and online enquiries.
The 12-week campaign is running across national and local print, radio, digital and social media. This phase builds on previous awareness-raising efforts undertaken since the Scheme launched in March 2024. The Scheme remains open for applications until 2029.
I acknowledge that some survivors are not eligible for the Scheme and are disappointed by this. However, 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.
For those who spent shorter periods of time in institutions as young children, the overwhelming priority need which has been expressed by survivors has been access to records. To date, under the Birth Information and Tracing Act, the Adoption Authority of Ireland and Tusla have completed over 18,700 applications for information.
Other actions in the Action Plan include the provision of counselling supports, the representation of survivor issues by the Special Advocate, both already in place, as well as the ongoing development of a National Centre for Research and Remembrance.
79. Deputy James Geoghegan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she is exploring mechanisms to ease the administrative burden on childcare providers who are in core funding. [65704/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraSimplify and Support, the Action Plan for Simplification was launched on the 17th December 2025.
This Action Plan was informed by an independent review by Indecon Economic Consultants and as well as regional consultation events attended by over 400 stakeholders. Its development was supported by a Working Group of officials from the Department, City/County Childcare Committees and Pobal and an Advisory Group of provider, educator/practitioner and parent representatives.
Simplify and Support seeks to deliver on the Programme for Government commitment to reduce the administrative burden on early learning and childcare providers by setting out the steps that will be taken in the short, medium and long term to reduce administration and simplify regulatory requirements in this sector.
The Action Plan commits to a single set of comprehensive regulations covering all centre-based services; a Single Compliance Framework for all early learning and childcare funded programmes and schemes; and the consolidation of AIM, AIM Plus and AIM Non-Term application into a single application – the latter of which was delivered this year.
There is a commitment to reforms to the National Childcare Scheme, including the introduction of a long-term CHICK and planning for that is now underway.
I expect other possible reforms the National Childcare to emerge from the independent evaluation of the Scheme that is also underway. As part of this evaluation, the hours-based model of the Scheme is being reviewed.
Digital systems are central to the administration of early learning and childcare programmes and schemes. To this end, Simplify and Support contains ambitious commitments to deliver phased upgrades to the HIVE – the Early Years Platform.
An independent third party was appointed in April to review options for a long-term digital system for early learning and childcare, including the option of modernising the existing system or developing a new system, including the identification functional and non-functional specifications. This project is a priority action for the Department and has progressed at pace over the past number of months.
The Department holds overall responsibility for Simplify and Support and is currently convening a Cross Sectoral Group to provide oversight, in continued collaboration with key stakeholders.
A Mid-Term Review will be conducted to assess progress, and an evaluation will be completed in 2030 to assess long-term impacts.
I have also established an Early Learning and Childcare Provider Consultative Forum, to build on the Department’s strong commitment to, and track record in, engaging with stakeholders in the sector through the Department’s advisory, oversight, consultation and research processes.
Under the Terms of Reference, the Early Learning and Childcare Provider Consultative Forum discusses policy and operational issues relating to the provision of early learning and childcare services. The Forum informs members of early learning and childcare developments and invites the views, concerns and suggestions from providers, as appropriate.
80. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if equine therapy facilities will be developed at the HSE’s Toghermore campus in Tuam, County Galway. [64901/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraI thank the Deputy for raising this important matter.
This Government and I are fully committed to ensuring that people with disabilities have access to the services and supports they need, throughout the country including those in Galway.
The Toghermore house and its surrounding lands, comprising approximately 40 acres, are owned and operated by the HSE.
The HSE’s Integrated Health Area Manager for Galway and Roscommon has commissioned a Health Planning Analysis to develop a Development Control Plan for the health area, to inform future needs of HSE services in the area.
The tender process for these consultancy services has now been completed, and a successful bidder has been identified with the contract expected to be awarded shortly.
As part of this work, Toghermore house and its surrounding lands will be assessed to determine their potential role in meeting future service needs. This assessment will include consideration of a range of possible uses for the site, including the possible development of an equine therapy facility.
Any decision regarding the future use of the site will be informed by the findings of the Health Planning Analysis and made in conjunction with the relevant HSE services.
While no final decision has been made regarding an equine therapy facility, the option remains under active consideration as part of the ongoing planning process.
I can assure the Deputy that the Department will continue to engage with the HSE on this matter and monitor progress on the future development of the Toghermore site.
This Government is committed to delivering real and tangible solutions to enhance services and to better support the needs of children with additional needs in Ireland.
Once again, I would like to thank the Deputy for raising this important issue which is a priority for the Minister and the whole Government.
81. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children currently waiting on an assessment of need under the Disability Act 2005, by county; and the longest length of time a child currently on the list has been waiting for an assessment. [64907/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Department and the HSE are working intensively to address delays in the provision of Assessments of Need to children and their families.
There has been significant increase in demand for Assessment of Need in recent years. Applications for Assessment of Need have risen from 4,700 in 2020 to over 13,000 in 2025, reflecting both the increase in population and the number of families exploring all options to access services for their child.?
Unfortunately, demand has outpaced the capacity of the system to respond. The HSE reports that at the end of June, 23,282 children were overdue to receive an Assessment of Need report within the statutory timeframe set out in the Disability Act 2005.
While the HSE does not provide a breakdown of data by county, reports are provided by Regional Health Area (RHA) and Local Health Organisation (LHO). I can provide the Deputy with a LHO breakdown of overdue cases as a written response.
The HSE does not routinely monitor the wait times for individual applications – this is dependent on several factors including the complexity of each case and whether multi-disciplinary, single discipline input and/or clinical assessments are required. However, the most recent data for Q2 2026 reports the average duration of the process per report completed nationally was 24.3 months. This average will vary depending on region.
It is very clear that change is needed. There has been progress over the past two years with a noticeable increase in the number of completed applications. Over 5,900 AON reports were completed in 2025 – a 43% increase compared to 2024. 3,043 assessment reports have been completed in the first six months of 2026. This improvement must continue.
Significant legislative and operational work is underway to improve the AON process and reduce waiting times. This includes continuation of the Targeted Waitlist Initiative, improved training and guidelines for Assessment Officers and targeted amendment of the Disability (Amendment) Bill to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the Assessment of Need process.
Of course, improving access to services and supports in the wider disability sector remains a priority. Supports can and do continue through Primary Care, Children’s Disability Services Teams, and CAMHs. Children do not need an Assessment of Need to access any of these services, nor does having an AON speed up access to supports. Families can access and apply for services directly through the HSE.
The HSE is implementing actions to address the wider issue of access to services and supports for children with disabilities including:
• The Single Point of Access referral model is being introduced by the HSE and should make it easier for families to be referred to the right service as early as possible.
• The Autism Assessment and Intervention Protocol is being implemented by the HSE and will be the preferred assessment route for autism assessment.
• The creation of 11 new HSE In-Reach teams to support assessment processes, including AON, providing clinical guidance and administrative supports.
82. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of disability residential and respite properties operated by the HSE, section 38 organisations and section 39 organisations which are leased or rented from private landlords; the total annual expenditure on rent or lease payments in respect of such properties in 2025 and the estimated expenditure for 2026; and the number of properties in each category at risk of lease expiry or sale within the next three years. [65596/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraI wish to thank Deputy Quaide for raising this important question and providing me with an opportunity to speak on this matter.
With regard to the information requested, the HSE has advised that in respect of properties leased or rented from private landlords and operated by the HSE, this information is not collated centrally and the HSE will revert in due course with available data.
More broadly, with regard to residential placements for adults and children with complex disabilities, there are approximately 90 service providers providing residential services to roughly 9,000 individuals throughout the country.
As of July 2026, the majority 6,378 (71%) of these are provided by the 50 highest funded agencies, comprising of both Section 38 & Section 39 organisations. The HSE directly provides 1,054 (12%) of places, with the remaining 1,543 (17%) being provided by private providers.
The Department of Children, Disability and Equality continues to work closely with the HSE to achieve a balanced response to the demand for residential placements and a move towards planned provision and away from unplanned responses where possible.
With additional funding secured in recent Budgets, new HSE housing coordinators and residential planning and review teams will be in place this year to coordinate and oversee the delivery of the new residential placements and plan for future placements.
The HSE is also continuing to work alongside service providers in order to build the capacity of Section 38 and Section 39 organisations to deliver more residential services.
Throughout 2026, the Department is undertaking research and progressing policy development across a range of areas which will set out an ambitious and far-reaching programme of reform to improve services over time and provide an opportunity to look at how to fund and deliver services in the future.
In addition, 2026 is the first of a five-year capital investment plan out to 2030, supported by €278 million in funding secured through the National Development Plan. The HSE are currently working on drafting a disability specific multi-annual capital plan which will strategically plan for the current and future disability capital needs across the 4 pillars: Specialist Residential Care, Residential Respite, Day Services and Assessment and Multi-disciplinary Teams, as well as Infrastructure Risks and Climate Action out to 2030.
Earlier this year, €43 million in capital investment was announced for much needed disability services in 2026, the first year of the National Development Plan. This represents a substantial increase in investment when compared with capital expenditure of previous years; €27 million in 2025, €23 million in 2024, €15 million in 2023 and €5.2 million in 2022.
The growth over the last number of years, and the capital secured under the National Development Plan demonstrates the Government’s firm commitment to support and expand disability services.
83. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether she will consider reforming the administration of the national childcare scheme to ensure that parents are not financially penalised for collecting their children early where they are paying the childcare provider for the full period booked. [65931/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe families of almost 247,000 children availed of National Childcare Scheme (NCS) subsidies in 2025 to help offset the costs of early learning and childcare. Up to 277,000 children are expected to avail of the Scheme this year.
The NCS is designed to be flexible, recognising that early learning and childcare needs are different for each family. Under the NCS, subsidies are awarded as an hourly rate, up to a maximum number of 45 hours a week for which the subsidy applies.
The hours-based nature of the NCS is designed to fit around the needs of families and ensure that the effectiveness of funding is maximised for all. The NCS enables families to agree the number of hours to be used with their service provider within overall scheme limits. The number of hours can be altered week to week so, for example the subsidy can be increased during a school midterm where a parent requires more hours.
This design allows families to benefit from a subsidy for the hours they actually require.
The Department designed the NCS to also be flexible around children’s attendance, recognising that children’s attendance may vary from week to week. If a child is occasionally picked up early or misses an occasional day, this will not impact on a family’s subsidy.
Only if a child consistently attends fewer than their agreed hours for a consecutive 12-week period will the subsidy be reviewed. In the usual course, a warning will issue after 8 weeks and, if not adjusted after 12 weeks, the allocation will be adjusted to reflect the real pattern of attendance. This period can be extended under certain circumstances.
This combination of flexibility and accountability provides an appropriate balance of supporting parents and providers while also ensuring the efficient use of Exchequer funding.
An independent evaluation of the NCS has commenced in recent weeks. This evaluation will review how the Scheme has performed to date and identify any potential improvements that could be made to better support families.
As part of this evaluation, the NCS attendance rules will be examined. The findings of the evaluation will inform potential enhancements to the National Childcare Scheme to continue to support families with accessing early learning and childcare. The findings will also inform the delivery of Phase 2 of Shaping the Future, the new Early Years Action Plan, which will be published later this year.
Any future changes to the NCS arising from the findings of this evaluation will be informed by a thorough review of international literature and comprehensive stakeholder engagement.
86. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the current waiting times for the Children's Disability Network Team services in Galway and nationally; the vacancies that currently exist within those teams; and the specific actions being taken to ensure children can access assessments and therapies within clinically appropriate timeframes. [64933/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Government is committed to ensuring that children with disabilities and their families who need early intervention and therapy input can access that support in a timely way.
Children's Disability Network Teams provide services to children with complex needs arising from their disability under the progressing disability services model of service delivery.
Waiting lists for specific therapy interventions are not collated on county level however I can provide the data for HSE West and Northwest which includes Galway, Donegal, Leitrim, Sligo, West Cavan, Mayo and Roscommon.
The HSE have indicated that there are 1,043 children currently waitlisted for Children’s Disability Network Team services across the HSE West and Northwest RHA at the end of July 2026, and nationally there are 6,899 children awaiting an initial contact from a Children’s Disability Network Team.
Whilst recognising that there is more to do, real progress has been made in reducing the Children’s Disability Network Team waiting list.
Health Service Executive preliminary data indicates that the national Children’s Disability Network Team waiting list has reduced by over 60%, from 16,522 children awaiting an initial contact with a Children’s Disability Network Team in 2023 to 6,217 children at the end of June 2026.
The overall Health Service Executive Disability Budget for 2026 has seen a growth to more than €3.8 billion, which equates to a nearly 20% increase from the previous year.
The Government has provided funding for additional posts to enhance the capacity of Children’s Disability Network Teams and shorten the waiting times in recent years, with further investment in both Budgets 2025 and 2026 to fund additional therapy posts and clinical trainee places. Funding was also secured for additional posts in children's disability network teams, with further investment to fund 150 posts for teams across the country.
In the period between October 2023 and October 2025, the Children’s Disability Network Team workforce has increased by 28% with an additional 448 WTE on Children’s Disability Network Teams, of which approximately 320 are Health and Social Care Professionals. This growth has supported the reduction in waiting lists and an increase in the support provided.
The HSE is currently undertaking a Children’s Disability Network Team workforce review to identify the specific workforce needs and provide the clarity needed to continue to identify and action additional Children’s Disability Network Team specific workforce initiatives to complement those already underway such as the 2026 HSCP new graduate sponsorship programme.
A dedicated disability workforce strategy is being worked on by the HSE and will be published this year. The strategy will help to meet growing service demands and address recruitment and retention challenges across specialist disability services, including CDNTs such as those in the Deputy's area.
The HSE is introducing a Single Point of Access system for referral to children’s services and implementing a national Autism Assessment Protocol to support the delivery of autism assessments.
Finally I Would note that the HSE is also in the process of recruiting the first-ever dedicated National Director for Disability as well as six new Regional Disability Leads in the health regions to advance disability services.
89. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for enhanced services at a location (details supplied); to create a centre of excellence for respite for both adults and children; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [65721/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraI would like to thank the Deputy for raising this important issue.
I am acutely aware of the demand for respite services in Kerry and am conscious that HSE South West Disability Services, on receipt of funding, has ensured that the region has been in a position to significantly invest in respite services in recent years.
Between 2021–2026, respite funding has more than doubled, reaching approximately €150 million in 2025, with an additional €25 million in new development funding provided in Budget 2026. This increased investment has translated into thousands of additional respite sessions delivered across the South West. From 2023 to 2025, Overnight respite provision increased by 24% while day sessions increased by 170% in this same time.
The HSE National Service Plan for 2026 projects that this funding will provide approximately 10,000 additional overnight sessions and 25,000 day sessions across a range of initiatives across the country, to 500 additional adults and children.
The full targets for respite provision in the Plan are 175,000 overnight sessions and 91,000 day-only sessions to be delivered. As of the end of Q2 2026, 91,758 overnight and 41,351 day-only respite sessions were delivered. Overnight respite delivery is 18.1% ahead of Q2 2025 while day-only session delivery is 29.5% ahead of Q2 2025.
Respite is not always overnight and can be provided in a number of ways including centre based day respite, evening and weekend clubs and individualised supports. Respite is a vital part of the continuum of services for families, potentially helping to prevent out-of-home full-time residential placements, preserving the family unit, and supporting family stability.
This year, in addition to broadening access and increasing activity for overnight respite and day sessions, the HSE planned an expanded summer programme of respite initiatives nationally and allocated €5m of their new development budget for 2026 to support this. HSE South West were granted national funding for a range of projects which were run throughout the summer of 2026 by Section 38, 39 and for-profit partners.
Regarding the future use of the St Mary of the Angels campus, as the Deputy will be aware, the campus is not owned by the HSE or the Department of Children, Disability and Equality, rather, it is owned and operated by St John of Gods Community Services Limited.
A working group was created to review and make recommendations on future use of the site. All relevant stakeholders, including people supported and their families are invited to participate in the working group.
At the centre of every discussion and decision made in respect of St Marys of the Angels site and St John of Gods Services will be the people who require specialist disability services. The voices and views of residents are vital as the campus is their home and all potential future opportunities for the campus will be considered as part of this ongoing process.
SJOG advised at the last operational meeting that they were beginning an external consultation process on the future of the campus. The tender for the consultation process has been awarded and all opportunities for the campus will now be considered as part of this review/consultation process.
This Department alongside HSE South West Disability Service will continue to work with service providers and families to ensure additional respite services are developed in the region.
93. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether the HSE Single Point of Access for children's services has launched; the HSE regions it is operational in; the number of referrals received through it to date; the status of implementation of the Autism Assessment and Intervention Pathways Protocol launched on 26 May 2026; and whether waiting times for autism assessment are now recorded consistently across primary care, mental health and disability services. [65861/26]
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.
