1. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for an update on her engagement with Tusla following the report of a missing child in Donabate, Dublin, to date in 2025; the steps Tusla is now taking, and the timeline for same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49873/25]

Things have moved on since I submitted this question and we now know that child was Daniel Aruebose. I take this opportunity to offer my sympathies to everybody who loved him, especially the foster carers who looked after him.

I thank the Deputy very much. I reiterate the comments I have made previously. This is such an upsetting and awful situation and, like the Deputy, I extend my sympathies to all those who knew and loved Daniel and recognise what a great source of upset and heartbreak it is to everybody, from the immediate family to the foster carers and wider society as well. I thank the Deputy for her question. I again acknowledge it is a matter of deepest concern to me and to the Government. I was saddened when we learned the remains of a young child, presumed to be Daniel Aruebose, had been found in north Dublin. We all recognise the death of a child is heartbreaking and the Government extends our sincere sympathies. The Department was notified by Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, of this case on 1 September, in full accordance with established protocols. Since then, the Department and I have maintained close and ongoing contact with the agency. As the Deputy will be aware, this case is the subject of an active and ongoing investigation by An Garda Síochána. It would therefore be inappropriate for me to comment on any specific details that could, even inadvertently, prejudice that vital investigation. However, I can inform the Deputy that I have requested the independent national review panel to prioritise a review of this case. This national review panel will examine the nature and extent of any engagement the child and his family had with all relevant State services, including health, social, and educational services. The national review panel has an independent chair and operates with full independence, including its own legal advice, to ensure its findings are objective and factual. Tusla has also initiated an internal rapid review of its own engagement with the family in this case and I understand Tusla expects to finalise this review in the coming days. In accordance with standard practice, especially given the highly sensitive nature of the personal information involved and the ongoing Garda investigation, internal reviews are not published. However, when the Tusla rapid review is completed, it will be forwarded to the Department and the national review panel. The internal rapid review will assist the national review panel in its work and the Department will be engaging with Tusla on the findings. Separately and on a broader policy level, I have asked Tusla to conduct a wider well-being check of cases closed to child protection services during the Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns, specifically where there was no further contact with the child since. This is a proactive measure to provide assurances about the welfare of vulnerable children, strengthen our systems and learn from the unique challenges of that period. I am pleased to confirm, as the Deputy may be aware, that this check will be independently chaired by Ms Tanya Ward. I made that announcement today. Ms Ward is the chief executive of the Children's Rights Alliance. A steering group will also oversee Tusla’s well-being check and the final composition of the steering group will be decided in consultation with the independent chair. The steering group is expected to include representatives from relevant Departments, the HSE, Tusla, the community and voluntary sector, and independent social work professionals. Under the chair’s leadership, the steering group will agree on terms of reference and a robust methodology for Tusla’s well-being check. Tusla will commit all necessary resources to conducting the check in line with those agreed parameters. While the detailed timeline will be shaped by the methodology, I will emphasise the importance of completing this work as soon as practicable, without compromising its thoroughness or integrity. Tusla's well-being check review is a proactive measure to provide assurance about the welfare of vulnerable children. It will seek to provide that assurance in relation to children whose cases were closed during the pandemic and I am committed to providing all necessary resources to support the work. It is a distinct and separate process from both the national review panel’s investigation and Tusla’s internal rapid review, which are focused specifically on the tragic case in Donabate. Tomorrow, I will also be chairing a meeting of the children first departmental group with the aim of identifying ways of enhancing check-ins on young children across the system.

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire. I appreciate, and we all respect, that the Garda investigation is under way and the force has to be allowed do its work. It is important to acknowledge those gardaí as well. It was a very difficult search, especially finding the remains. I have a couple of questions. I welcome that the closed cases will be examined, starting with those closed during Covid. For any social worker, like any of us in any job we do, cases may be closed and later on things may happen and unless they are brought to the attention of Tusla, nobody may know, so that is important. On that measure, I ask that, after these well-being checks are done, the mechanism of a look-back period of six months to a year after a case is closed would be built more permanently into Tusla and the work it does. I appreciate it is a lot of work and the agency is getting a lot of referrals but a look-back mechanism should be built in so a child would be checked on maybe six months to a year after a case is closed. Is that something the Minister would be willing to look at?

Again, I acknowledge this is a significant step forward in terms of cases that were closed during the lockdowns caused by Covid. It is important to say there are many reasons for a case being closed. Oftentimes, we regard that as a real positive and then on other occasions a case can open again. It is important also to say many of these cases may well be to do with child welfare as distinct from child protection issues, and we need to be cognisant of that. This will be a very worthwhile well-being check. I referenced it earlier, but tomorrow I will be chairing a meeting of the children first interdepartmental group. That includes Departments that have various engagements with children at different times. We will be specifically seeking methods and means to ensure we can identify ways of enhancing check-ins on young children right across the system on an ongoing basis.

I take it from that reply that perhaps this will be done in future by Tusla, and of course there is a role for other organisations. On one other point, there appears to be a gap for preschool-age children. When a child is born, there may be a number of visits by the public health nurse to the home. After that, depending on whether the child goes into formal childcare, there really is no check that exists, and that is of concern. The Minister has cited ECCE data and maybe looking at that. That is something that should be considered. Unless a child is in a formal setting, who is there to check or to know? That gap is of concern. I welcome, of course, the review of closed cases. A lot of them are advice, like parenting advice, and they will be straightforward, but that job of work is important. A look-back period built in is important and that gap should be followed through on, perhaps using ECCE data.

I thank the Deputy and appreciate her engagement on this matter. I think we are all ad idem in our determination that we need to move proactively where we find any gaps in information or support. The Deputy is correct. I have identified the issue with ECCE. ECCE, the early childcare provision, has been hugely successful. It is two years of free preschool care, if you like. We have almost a 97% uptake of that, so it is an ideal opportunity to harness that information and put it to very positive use. We are currently looking at the manner and means of doing that. Obviously, there are other Departments involved. The Deputy referenced public health checks for children as well as the Department of Social Protection because of the financial supports that are provided or whatever the case might be. That is one of the key reasons I am chairing this interdepartmental group to see how we can best harness the information that sometimes exists almost in silos. We need to have more joined-up thinking in relation to it. I thank the Deputy for her personal engagement and support on it also.

2. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality her plans for introducing a right to respite for family carers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50022/25]

I think everyone in this House can agree that family carers right across the State do an outstanding job 24-7. I would, as I am sure the family carers would, love to hear the Minister's plans to introduce respite for those family carers.

The national carer's strategy 2012 sets out Government policy on family carers. Oversight of the strategy is led by the Department of Health, with individual Departments leading on action areas that fall within their remit. The Department of Social Protection provides payment supports to carers, while my Department supports the provision of respite services for people with disabilities and their carers. The Government and the HSE are aware of the importance of respite service provision for the families of both children and adults with disabilities, and the vital work done by family carers, as well as the impact that caring can have on carers' physical and mental health. The programme for Government contains a number of relevant commitments including addressing concerns in relation to financial supports for family carers and progressively increasing funding for respite services, including the home support emergency respite scheme, which is funded by the Department of Health. These commitments will be progressed over the lifetime of the Government. Respite is part of the continuum of HSE-funded supports for people with disabilities and their families and typically consists of short breaks for service users and their carers. Respite services play a crucial role in preventing carer burnout, help to prevent out-of-home full-time residential placements, preserve the family unit and support family stability. Currently, the demand for respite is outpacing the capacity of the system to respond. The Department is working with the HSE and service providers to increase provision, but also through the exploration of alternative forms of respite, such as home sharing and after-school respite. Respite sessions for people with disabilities have increased progressively over the last few years. In 2025, the HSE is on course to deliver 164,059 respite nights to 7,460 people and 65,151 respite day-only sessions.

I appreciate the Minister's reply. As I said in my introduction, we are all aware of the great work of family carers, what they do for the State and the €20 billion they save the State every year. However, as the Minister said in her reply, they need a break, something we all can agree on. Today I attended the family carers' pre-budget presentation. One of the issues for the people they represent is that respite care is not strong enough in many places. I appreciate, as outlined in the Minister's reply, that this is also cross-departmental, but from the point of view of the Minister for children and disability, a huge cohort of family carers who are caring for those with a disability need respite care. They are caring 24-7 and are crying out for some sort of respite. The Minister and her Department need to ensure that they get the respite they fully deserve.

I recognise the extraordinary service provided by family carers and all carers. Without their diligence and the work that they do, the lives of many would be in a far worse position. I absolutely and unreservedly recognise their work. As I said, respite sessions for people with disabilities have increased significantly, with over 164,000 respite overnights and more than 65,000 respite day-only sessions, but I absolutely accept it is not enough. Respite is a key priority for the HSE and for the Government and over the course of the Government's life there has been significant investment. For example, the action plan for disability services 2024 to 2026 proposes to increase the level of disability respite provision by around a third. It proposes to do that through a mix of provision of alternative respite options.

One of the areas I want to concentrate on tonight is emergency care. I have come across a number of cases recently where family carers need that respite care in an emergency situation. I know that Family Carers Ireland has been providing such a service for a number of years and it tells us that that service is underfunded. I ask the Minister tonight to consider through the budget proposals, through her Department and in her cross-departmental conversations tomorrow to look at that emergency care and look at additional funding for Family Carers Ireland to ensure that when a family needs that emergency service, there is respite care available for them. It is a huge issue in this country that when their hour of need comes, there is somebody to answer that call. In fairness Family Carers Ireland has been doing that for a long time now. However, it is underfunded and needs more support. We also need that support throughout the State and not have it determined by a postcode lottery.

I join the Deputy in recognising the great work of Family Carers Ireland. Spending on respite services for people with disabilities is about €134 million annually. Since 2020 there has been a significant increase in this funding, of 58%. The Deputy is quite correct to put it in the context of the upcoming budget negotiations that we need to do more in this space also. The HSE is about to undertake an audit of respite services across the country, which will also be very helpful and allow us to clearly identify where there is a particular dearth of service. That will be quite significant to us. I do not underestimate the value of respite. It gives families an opportunity for a break but it is also very good for the service user as well. It is a different environment and provides other opportunities. It is very much a focus. I hope that the discussions and the negotiations we have for the budget will be able to do something positive.

3. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for an update on key commitments made in the programme for Government on early years and, specifically, the commitment to undertake a broad consultation and publish a detailed action plan to build an affordable, high-quality, accessible early childhood education and care system with State-led facilities adding capacity, as well as a review of core funding; a timeframe for both; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49874/25]

I ask the Minister about a number of key commitments in relation to childcare in early years in the programme for Government, specifically the broad consultation, the detailed action plan to ensure accessible, affordable, high-quality childcare and also the review of core funding. I ask her to provide us with any timeframe in relation to any of those three key commitments. Within the broad action plan is also the use of State-led facilities for the first time, which is really welcome.

I thank the Deputy for her continued engagement on these matters. As she is aware, the programme for Government commits to "undertake a broad consultation and publish a detailed Action Plan to build an affordable, high-quality, accessible early childhood education and care system". Given the need to make progress as soon as possible while also allowing time for a broad consultation process, I intend to publish the action plan in two phases. This autumn I will publish phase 1 of the action plan, which will be short-term actions for 2026 and which will reflect the budget made available through the Estimates process for 2026. I will publish phase 2 actions after completion of the consultation process, which the Deputy referred to. That consultation process will commence in the coming months. Of course, we have not waited until publication of the action plan to start the important work we need to do in this area. The Deputy will be aware that the maximum fee caps were extended to all partner services in core funding this month. The introduction of fee caps is an important step towards the reduction of parental fees to €200 per month over the lifetime of the Government. While the maximum fee caps were introduced for new services last year, they now cover all services that are in core funding. In addition, the new fee caps are set at a lower level than before. The maximum fee for a full-day place of between 40 and 50 hours per week is €295 per week before Department subsidies under the national childcare scheme and the ECCE programme are deducted. For those on the minimum level of subsidy, this will bring their out-of-pocket costs down to less than €200 per week, with those on income-assessed subsidies paying less. While this is a helpful development for those paying the highest fees, it is important to note that with a median fee of €200 per week nationally, this results in many paying just €100 after the minimum subsidies are deducted. This latest measure builds on a range of supports already in place. The ECCE programme provides two years of preschool without charge and has participation rates of 96% to 97%.

I want to come back to the State-led facilities, which is a significant move. The Minister talked about looking at areas of unmet need. I understand some scoping was carried out within the Minister’s Department in terms of where that unmet need is. To provide one example, which I have given here before, an analysis was carried out with the family resource centre in Boyle, County Roscommon. That analysis found that there are 20 childcare places per 1,043 children for Boyle and its catchment area. A total of 77% of children aged between zero and four years of age have no access to a childcare place. They would have liked, through the building blocks scheme, to purchase an existing building in the town. The limitations of the building blocks scheme - we have discussed this before - in that it applies to existing providers and to purchasing or building new premises only, are locking out a lot when it comes to building capacity. There are fine buildings in towns like Boyle that could be used for a service rather than lying derelict. Will the Minister look at the building blocks scheme and its limitations?

That €25 million investment under the building blocks scheme has and will provide for an additional 1,500 additional places, which are obviously much needed and a positive step forward. It is important, however, that we take the opportunity to review an existing programme every year. I am absolutely committed to reviewing existing measures and adding new measures. Deputy Kerrane referenced the State-led facilities, which are a new innovation and a positive step forward to facilitate those. There is a forward planning unit within the Department which will be focused on looking at areas where there are specific challenges. The Deputy has consistently referenced one such area in her constituency. There are other areas throughout the country where there are significant challenges regarding childcare provision. I have always been very clear that it is the determination of the Government to support existing providers through mechanisms like the building blocks scheme and, where that is not possible and the State needs to step in, the State will step in. We will use the information from the forward planning unit to make those decisions.

I appreciate the decision has not been made yet, but does the Minister envisage using the building blocks scheme to build capacity and allow a new group that has come together, particularly groups of parents, to purchase an existing building? It is a win-win then. New premises are not necessarily needed in Boyle. There is an ideal premises in the town that is well located and perfect for its use, but they are not in a position to buy it. I am sure in all of our counties and towns we can point to buildings that would be great to see in use again where there is so much need. There are only 20 childcare places per 1,043 children in Boyle. The service is just not there for parents and they are under an awful lot of pressure. Lastly, with regard to the review of core funding, core funding has been a game-changer for a lot of providers. It has saved a lot of them from closing their doors, but there appear to be issues for some providers. It is reasonable to ask that the review of core funding take place sooner rather than later, given it is a lot of taxpayers’ money.

To reiterate, I am happy to look at any mechanism that will support the provision of additional places. I am very open to that, whatever that mechanism might be. We have opportunities to look afresh now, whether that is through mechanisms like the building blocks scheme or indeed through this new mechanism that we have through State-led facilities. Often, that does not necessarily mean building new premises. The Deputy is quite correct; there are already existing buildings in towns and villages throughout the country. On the issue of core funding, there is an evaluation of the first year of core funding currently under way. That review of core funding will allow us to have an evaluation framework that will facilitate ongoing reviews of each of the other years as well. It is my expectation that work will be completed before the end of the year. It will be facilitating a mechanism to allow us, on an ongoing basis, to review year-on-year core funding.

5. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the means by which, under the national human rights strategy for disabled people, the delivery of therapies and assessments will be achieved; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50191/25]

I wish to ask the Minister the means by which, under the national human rights strategy for disabled people, the delivery of therapies and assessments will be achieved. When I first put in this question, I actually asked a bit more that obviously related to other Departments, such as the cost of disability that relates to the Department of Social Protection, or issues that relate to transport or housing. We all know the issues that exist with regard to therapies and assessments. While I have received some figures back, I am seeking the latest update on the state of play so that we can actually offer a framework that provides the supports required by children.

I thank Deputy Ó Murchú. I recognise the other elements he had in place. In the context of the national human rights strategy for disabled people, there is a recognition that a number of Departments have different roles. This is and must be regarded as a whole-of-government approach. In the consultation process, one of the most telling exchanges that came from a disabled person referenced the fact that no one’s life is divided conveniently into Government Departments. I thought that was a great learning process for anyone to appreciate that. There is an apportioning of responsibility, however. I appreciate that the other Departments are going to take up some of the issues the Deputy has raised. As the Deputy will be aware and appreciate, engagement around the strategy was launched on 3 September. This is a landmark strategy that will advance the implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and provide a framework for whole-of-government action on disability issues. It contains a significant commitment to the delivery of a quality, accessible, equitable and timely service for all disabled children and their families, based on their need. The key vehicle for change and improvement is the roadmap for service improvement for disability services for children and young people. The implementation of this roadmap is well under way and will continue until 2026. The roadmap contains an important set of actions that, collectively, will enhance children’s disability services in Ireland. They include significant measures to integrate and improve access to services, expand the workforce and advance better communication and engagement with families. HSE data from April show there has been a nationwide increase of 26% in children's disability network team staffing levels since October 2023. Most significantly, the national vacancy rate of CDNTs has reduced from 29% in 2023 to 18% in 2025, a reduction of 11 percentage points. It is still too high, however. We need to say that. I am very pleased to see this progress, but I know we absolutely need to do more. That is why we will continue to focus on increasing CDNT staffing numbers, reducing the vacancy rate even further and ensuring that more children with complex needs and their families receive the support they need.

No one is going to have a difficulty with the pillars or the strategy, but we have had many well written strategies before. This will come down to the roadmap and the actual action plan. We will be waiting until approximately November or December for that. Can the Minister provide me with that timeline? It will come down to the specific points in that. If we deal with the CDNTs and replies to my parliamentary questions, in April, there were 445.3 positions unfilled in the CDNTs. At the end of June, we were talking about 16,593 assessments of need, AONs, basically awaiting or overdue completion. We are talking about an end-of-year figure of 23,903. The figure at the end of July for those waiting on first contact with a CDNT was 10,714. Obviously, none of these figures work. Even in the area of in-school therapies, we are not where we need to be.

When it comes to the CDNTs, I would be the first to say that a lot more work needs to be done in this regard. If we wish to look on the positive side, we have seen a nationwide increase of 26% in CDNT staffing levels since October 2023. The national vacancy rate has also reduced from 29% to 18%, but it needs to reduce a lot more. With regard to AONs, I absolutely acknowledge there is an increasing demand for AONs every single day, which has led to a growing waiting list. However, progress has been made in the past year, with a noted improvement in the number of assessments completed in 2024, up 30% compared with 2023. The trend is continuing, with a 58% increase in completions in the first half of this year compared with the same period last year. When it comes to AONs, 58% were completed at the start of this year, which represents an increase compared with last year. That is not to say there is not an ongoing waiting list. The waiting list is quite significant.

We agree that, obviously, the figures I have are not acceptable. If I am wrong or those figures have been updated, I would appreciate if I could have them, whether that is now or later in writing, because we need to know the depth of the issue. My fear is if those 445.3 positions were filled, the CDNTs would still not be able to deliver on the basis of the need. Cara Darmody has been a strong advocate for the position that, whatever legislative changes the Government proposes, the right to an assessment of need within six months cannot be rowed back from. I understand at this point in time there is an absolute breach of the law by Government on this but we cannot move away from that right, as exists. I ask for an update on the legislative changes the Government proposes around this.

I acknowledge everybody in this field, the professionals on the front line and the families enduring what they are enduring. I do not forget Cara Darmody's great advocacy work. I want to acknowledge the additional funding in place - the €10 million that is very much close to Cara's heart - to ensure private assessments could be delivered under the AON process. Under that initiative, the HSE provides for the procurement of clinical assessments from private providers and almost 5,000 such assessments have been commissioned under the programme. That is quite significant. I know it is something Cara is quite proud of and she seeks to do more in relation to it. On the right to an AON, the six months will not be interfered with, nor will the right to seek an AON. On any legislative changes, it is our ambition that they will be brought to the House during this term.