Written Answers Nos. 973-992
973. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the amount paid out in legal fees by her Department due to legal actions being taken by parents of a child not receiving an assessment of need within the statutory timeframe since 2020, by year, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2786/25]
View answerAs this question refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
974. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of permanent residency spaces currently available for persons with disabilities in Cork and Kerry; the number of beds that are projected to be needed for 2025-2035; the assessments or reports that have been carried out to assess the number of beds that will be required to address the perceived shortages; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2788/25]
View answerAs this question refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
975. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to outline the options for the parent of a child who has been unable to secure an ECCE placement (details supplied). [2836/25]
View answerThe Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme provides free universal pre-school to children in the eligible age range. The programme is provided for three hours per day, five days per week over 38 weeks per year. The programme year runs from the end of August to the following June in line with the primary school year.
ECCE is provided by private enterprises, either privately owned or operated by community organisations. Services are contracted with my Department to provide ECCE at no cost to the parent and subject to the programme's rules.
My Department funds a national network of City/County Childcare Committees (CCCs) who provide support and advice to parents, including support on availability of ECCE childcare places, as well as assistance for parents on all aspects of childcare.
I would urge any parent experiencing difficulty in securing an ECCE place for their child to contact their local CCC who will assist them in this regard. Contact details for all of the CCCs as well as further information on ECCE are available at www.gov.ie/childcarecommittees.
976. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth for a breakdown of the staff numbers and grade in each CDNT within Clare, in 2023, 2024 and to date in 2025, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2862/25]
View answerAs this question refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
977. Deputy Joanna Byrne asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if there are plans to extend the accommodation recognition payment beyond the current end date of 31 March 2025; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2867/25]
View answerThe Accommodation Recognition Payment (ARP) was introduced to recognise the generosity of people who have opened their homes to provide accommodation to Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection (BOTPs) fleeing the war in Ukraine.
The ARP scheme is provided in Part 2 of the Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2022 and is administered by the Department of Social Protection on behalf of the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. In line with extensions of the EU Temporary Protection Directive (TPD), the ARP scheme was initially extended to 31 March 2024 and then to 31 March 2025.
As the TPD is now extended to March 2026, consideration is being given to the extension of the ARP scheme. Resolutions must be passed by both Houses of the Oireachtas before this Order is made, and a decision will be reached shortly in respect of the ARP.
978. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if she will provide the current wait lists for assessments of needs for each local health area, including the number on the waiting lists; and the length of time they have been waiting, in tabular form. [2868/25]
View answerAs this question refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
979. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the current average waiting period for assessments of needs in each CHO; the national average waiting periods; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2880/25]
View answerAs this question refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
980. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of WTE clinical psychologists based at a location (details supplied) as of 28 January 2025; and if she will provide the corresponding figures as of 28 January 2022, in tabular form. [2881/25]
View answerAs this question refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
981. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the steps being taken to address the issue where vulnerable children are left at risk as the courts are repeatedly told that there are no available placements in either foster care or residential care; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2913/25]
View answerTusla is working to reduce reliance on Special Emergency Arrangements (SEAs). Tusla is also working to reduce the cost and promote the quality and safety of these placements. My Department is supporting Tusla in these efforts. In the interim, specific measures have and are being taken by Tusla to promote and support the quality and safety of these placements.
Where children are placed in an SEA, there are a number of safeguards in place:
• Tusla have developed Standard Operating Procedures for these placements, which detail extensive checks that any prospective SEA provider must adhere to, including in relation to records management and staff vetting.
• I am informed that all SEA providers are vetted by the Central Compliance Unit (CCU) of Tusla, the unit ensures that Garda vetting and appropriate qualifications are in order before any child is placed with a prospective provider. The CCU also carries out spot checks to validate staff on active duty.
• Tusla uses Practice Assurance and Service Monitoring (PASM) reports to support the provision of high-quality services for children and families. The monitoring extends across Tusla activity, including SEAs.
• All SEA providers met with Tusla representatives in September 2024 to receive feedback on the quality of service they provide. These meetings focused on where good care practices were in place and discussed areas for improvement. During these meetings, the Alternative Care Inspection and Monitoring Service (ACIMS) also met with each SEA provider to support moves to registered regulated services. I am informed that Tusla is working with providers of SEAs to progress their services towards becoming fully compliant with regulations.
• Through contracts between Tusla and commissioned services, compliance with Garda vetting and child safeguarding statements is reviewed and monitored by Tusla on an ongoing basis.
• Young people in special emergency arrangements are visited weekly by a social worker or delegated person to have their voice heard and check on the care being provided.
• In accordance with the latest Standard Operating Procedure for SEAs, regular reviews are required, and a child may only be placed in an SEA if it is judged to be the most suitable placement available at the time. All efforts are made by Tusla to move children from SEAs to a suitable mainstream alternative care placement as quickly as possible.
• Children First: National Guidance for the Protection and Welfare of Children sets out the steps which should be taken to ensure that children and young people are protected from harm. This also outlines the roles of the main statutory bodies involved in child welfare and protection: Tusla - Child and Family Agency, and An Garda Síochána.
Officials in my Department continue to work with their counterparts in Tusla to seek to reduce the use of SEAs in the State, and to improve the provision of general residential care and the management of SEAs in the medium term.
982. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the measures being taken to reduce the reliance by Tusla on special emergency arrangements; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2914/25]
View answerTusla has indicated that it is facing significant and ongoing challenges in sourcing appropriate placements for children in the care of the State.
A number of actions are being undertaken to improve the availability of suitable alternative care placements for children in care. These include:
• The Department has overseen a significant increase in investment in foster care supports, including in relation to the foster care allowance, which was increased to €400 per week for children aged under 12, and €425 per week for those over 12 in 2024. These increases mean that foster carers received over €1,700 additional funding per child over the course of 2024. In 2025, this means that foster carers will receive an additional €3,900 in allowances.
• Budget 2025 sets out further investment and support towards children in foster care, including funding which will be used to provide a bonus payment at the start of each initial foster care placement from 2025. There is provision for additional mileage support for foster carers who have significant travel responsibilities for children in their care.
• In addition, the 2025 Programme for Government includes commitments in respect of examining pension provision for foster carers and examining the Back-to-School Clothing and Footwear Allowance eligibility criteria to allow flexibility for foster carers.
• An increase of €145 million was secured in Budget 2025, representing a 14% increase in Tusla’s total budget. This brings Tusla’s total funding to over €1.2 billion for 2025. This increase includes an additional €21m in 2025 in relation to residential care.
• The Department of Children will continue to prioritise residential care in the ongoing capital investment funding engagements with the Department of Public Expenditure, in the next iteration of the National Development Plan.
• Tusla’s Strategic Plan on Residential Care outlines plans for increased residential care capacity over the 2022-2025 period. Tusla has established a property sub-group to support accessing suitable properties for contracted providers in the community, voluntary and private sectors to ensure value for money and safe and appropriate accommodation.
Both Tusla and I share a common aim to meet the needs of all children in mainstream alternative care placements. When residential care and foster care are unavailable, a Special Emergency Arrangement (SEA) is used to ensure an immediate place of safety. Where children are placed in an SEA, regular reviews are required and a child may only be placed in an SEA if it is judged to be the most suitable placement available at the time. All efforts are made by Tusla to move children from SEAs and into mainstream alternative care placements as quickly as possible.
983. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the steps being taken to address systemic child protection issues, as outlined by the courts, in particular the lack of available placements, a shortage of qualified social workers, delays in accessing necessary support services, and therapeutic interventions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2915/25]
View answerTusla has indicated that it is facing significant and ongoing challenges in sourcing appropriate placements for children in the care of the State.
With regard to the available placements, there were 5,760 children in care at the end of Q3 2024 (latest data). This data indicates:
• 87.4% (5,035) of children in care were in foster care (general, relative) at the end of Q3 2024
• 8.7% (501) were in a residential care (general and special care) placement.
• 3.9% (224) of children were in “Other” care placements (includes at home under a care order, supported lodgings, detention centre, disability unit, hospital, special emergency arrangement, not specified etc).
A number of actions are being undertaken to improve the availability of suitable alternative care placements for children in care.
My Department has overseen a significant increase in investment in foster care supports, including in relation to the foster care allowance, which was increased to €400 per week for children aged under 12, and €425 per week for those over 12 in 2024. These increases mean that foster carers received over €1,700 additional funding per child over the course of 2024. In 2025, this means that foster carers will receive an additional €3,900 in allowances.
My Department secured an increase of €145 million in Budget 2025, representing a 14% increase in Tusla’s total budget. This brings Tusla’s total funding to over €1.2 billion for 2025. This increase includes an additional €21m in 2025 in relation to residential care.
Tusla Children’s Residential Services (CRS) have been implementing the Children’s Residential Services Strategic Plan (2022 – 2025) with particular focus on further expansion of residential capacity. To date Children’s Residential Services have opened 19 new placements (2023&2024) with work progressing to open an additional 35 placements in 2025. In addition to progressing with an increase in capacity in Children’s Residential Services statutory placements, work is progressing with the voluntary sector to work to together in exploring all options to expand services. Tusla also launched a tender in 2024 for the provision of residential services which was open to both the voluntary and private sector.
Tusla CRS opened 2 Rapid Access Centres with Private Providers in the Summer 2024. Rapid Access Services provide bespoke responsive care with immediate (rapid) residential placements from 30 to 100 days and will also offer respite services.
Tusla is currently implementing the Strategic plan for Foster Care Services for children and young people 2022-2025 which has a specific focus on the areas of foster care recruitment and retention. This strategy was developed through a process of internal and external consultation (500 stakeholders) hearing the lived experiences of those accessing and providing Tusla services, trend and data analysis, and literature review.
Under the strategy Tusla has recruited a national team dedicated to the raising of awareness about the need for foster carers in Ireland and foster carer recruitment. Additionally, the strategy builds on support and innovates initiatives to support new and inexperienced foster carers as they are approved including a new foster care Peer Support service. New foster carers will receive a standardised induction and training plan to meet their needs and the needs of the child in their care.
Increases in the Foster Care allowance have been implemented by Tusla and new financial supports were included in Budget 2025 including a start-up grant for new foster care placements.
With regard to the shortage of qualified Social Workers, Tusla’s People Strategy 2022-2024 is designed to ensure that Tusla can attract, retain, and grow a diverse workforce and promote a positive culture. Over the lifetime of this Strategy Tusla has worked to increase the supply of Social Workers available to the organisation. There have been some significant achievements and milestones reached to date particularly in terms of recruitment, attraction and increase supply initiatives such as:
• Social Work Awareness week
• Transition Year Programme 2024/2025
• NTRIS (National Traveller & Roma Inclusion Strategy)
• Social Work Apprenticeship scheme
• 2024 Graduate Social Work Campaign and Student Initiatives
• Recruitment Attraction & Events
• Rolling adverts with the Irish Association of Social Workers for recruitment
• International Recruitment
Delays in accessing supports services can relate to shortage of placements and qualified workers. In addition, the services provided by the State through the Health Services Executive can be delayed in delivery including through excessive demand or vacancies.
In addition to Tusla’s engagement with the Health Services Executive, who deliver the majority of therapy interventions for children, Tusla are committed to expanding its therapeutic services for those who have been harmed or abused, particularly children in care. Tusla has a project in place for this purpose and in the past 18 months has established six learning sites with multidisciplinary teams (psychology, speech & language therapy and occupational therapy) inputting into social work led care planning at point of admission to care. This is allowing therapeutic needs to be identified and met as early as possible.
It is the vision of Tusla to expand these sites so that all children will have multidisciplinary input into their care plan and Tusla are committed to same, subject to resources being available. Tusla also operates the ACTS therapeutic service for children who are in/or at risk of special care/detention and a service for children who exhibit harmful sexual behaviour.
984. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth her plans to ensure that international protection applicants who avail of temporary accommodation as part of cold weather initiatives are not expected to sleep rough once the cold weather passes to prove and demonstrate their need for accommodation before being referred to alternative emergency accommodation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2940/25]
View answerDuring the lead in to the red weather warnings during January, the Department activated our extreme weather response plan to enhance safety measures for people seeking international protection.
The Department’s extreme weather response plan focuses on international protection (IP) applicants who are in our tented accommodation sites, and applicants who are unaccommodated. Measures that operate during period of severe weather include providing extra bedding, ensuring that heating in our robust, weather proof tents is operating properly. At some tented sites, options to move to indoor accommodation are also made and taken up by residents.
Ongoing outreach continues during and following the extreme weather plan. This outreach ensures that international protection applicants who are found rough-sleeping receive an offer accommodation. Our teams keep the needs of applicants and residents under ongoing review during these periods.
Since December 2023, the Department has not had sufficient capacity available to accommodate all people seeking international protection.
Drop-in day services are provided for unaccommodated people who wish to avail of them. In such centres, people seeking IP can access facilities including hot showers, meals and laundry services seven days a week. The Department has arrangements in place for the provision of these services with a range of NGO partners.
Unaccommodated people seeking IP are provided with a weekly allowance of €113.80 per week, an increase of €75 from the standard weekly allowance.
Our teams continue to manage the very limited accommodation available, prioritising people who are assessed as vulnerable or with specific needs.
The Department also continues to develop and source accommodation for people applying for international protection in locations all over the country, as part of implementing the Comprehensive Accommodation Strategy for international protection.
The Comprehensive Accommodation Strategy aims to address the current serious shortfall in accommodation for people seeking international protection and to build a more sustainable system for the longer term.
Intensive efforts are underway to source and bring into use suitable accommodation facilities, and to move over time toward a greater provision of State-owned beds, in line with the strategy.
Accommodation in the new strategy is being delivered through the use of State land for prefabricated and modular units, conversion of commercial buildings, and targeted purchasing of turnkey properties. It will also involve design and build of new Reception and Integration Centres and upgrading of IPAS Centres. This is supplemented, as required, by high standard commercial providers on an ongoing basis.
985. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth her plans to address the lack of childcare facilities in Youghal, County Cork; her plans to build and or purchase State-owned childcare facilities to address the unmet capacity needs in the local Youghal area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2945/25]
View answerMy Department employs a range of approaches to identify and address shortages of early learning and childcare places, bearing in mind the wide range of types of early learning and childcare provision offered by services and required by families.
Last year, a Supply Management Unit within the Early Learning and Care and School Age Childcare Division was established, and the Programme for Government articulates an intention that the unit be resourced and transformed into a Forward Planning and Delivery Unit to identify areas of need, forecast demand and deliver public supply within the childcare sector where required.
The development of a forward planning model is currently underway utilising the skills of statisticians on secondment from the Central Statistics Office, those experienced in the field of early learning and childcare and the expertise of a GIS mapper working with the Department. The model will seek to identify the nature and volume of different types of early learning and childcare places across the country, whether or not those places are occupied and how that aligns with the numbers of children in the corresponding age cohorts at local area level.
It is important to note that demand for early learning and childcare beyond sessional pre-school provision is highly elastic and shaped very substantially by families' individual composition, circumstances and preferences; employment patterns and income; and the price and availability of services.
My Department collects extensive data on supply through both survey and administrative data. A range of data sources show that the level of capacity in the sector has risen substantially in recent years. However, there is also evidence that demand for places is increasing and, for certain cohorts and in certain areas, outstripping supply. This is partly driven by the significant improvements in affordability that have been achieved in recent years. Published data on capacity broken down at county level is available at www.pobal.ie/childcare/capacity/
The Programme for Government commits for the first time to provide capital investment to build or purchase state-owned ELC and SAC facilities, to create additional capacity in areas where unmet need exists. State ownership of ELC and SAC facilities is a very substantial and significant shift in the policy direction that the Department has pursued heretofore (i.e. privately delivered provision with increased levels of public funding and public management) and offers the potential for much greater scope to influence the nature and volume of provision available and to ensure better alignment with estimated demand.
Some early scoping work has been carried out to explore options to introduce a segment of public provision but this will require much more detailed and extensive policy development and design in order to progress to implementation stage, having regard to the wider policy emerging policy context as set out in the Programme for Government.
986. Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to provide a schedule of special advisors attached to her, as of 29 January 2025; and the official grade and or title held by that special advisor. [2992/25]
View answerAs of 29 January 2025, the following special advisers are employed by Minister Foley.
|
Name |
Description |
Grade |
|
Aine Doyle |
Special Adviser to the Minister (Policy) |
Principal Officer Equivalent |
|
Michael Brennan |
Special Adviser to the Minister (Press) |
Principal Officer Equivalent |
987. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth for an update on the speech and language therapy appointment for a child (details supplied). [3126/25]
View answerAs this question refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
988. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth for an update on the special schools pilot providing delivery of in-school therapy supports to children in selected special schools, in addition to existing services being provided through children’s disability network teams (CDNTs); if there are plans to extend this scheme to other special schools such as a school in Dublin (details supplied) which has recently accepted 12 new students but has not been given any additional supports or wrap-around services from the nearest CDNT; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3170/25]
View answerOn the 9th August, Government made a decision to support a special schools’ pilot to deliver enhanced in-school therapy supports to children in sixteen special schools during the 2024/2025 academic year. This pilot supplements existing services being provided through Children’s Disability Network Teams (CDNTs).
Six schools were selected to participate in Phase 1 of the pilot and ten schools were selected for Phase 2, with phased onboarding of schools to the pilot over the course of the 2024/2025 academic year.
The Health Service Executive (HSE) advises that all six schools in Phase 1 have filled most of the therapy posts assigned as part of the pilot. This includes three of the Cork area schools and one of the Dublin area schools in Phase 1, who have now filled all therapy posts allocated as part of the pilot.
All schools in Phase 1 of the pilot are receiving some provision of additional in-school therapy supports, with recruitment efforts ongoing by HSE and the Lead agencies to fill outstanding posts, to scale up provision to targeted levels. The recruitment campaigns for Phase 1 schools are at various stages, with some staff due to commence in post and others at a late stage in the recruitment process.
The ten schools in Phase 2 of the pilot will come on board on a phased basis in 2025, with recruitment to these schools in the early stages. While recruitment efforts are ongoing, the children in each of the sixteen special schools continue to receive supports through their local CDNT.
The HSE advises that it is pursuing all measures to bridge the gaps that currently exist between intended levels of service and what is being delivered.
Any future extension of this pilot will be a matter for Government.
989. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth for clarity on the accommodation recognition payment available to those providing accommodation to people who arrived in Ireland under the EU Temporary Protection Directive since March 2022; if the scheme is ending on 31 March 2025; and the communication that has been sent to tenants of those properties and the property owners. [3175/25]
View answerThe Accommodation Recognition Payment (ARP) was introduced to recognise the generosity of people who have opened their homes to provide accommodation to Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection (BOTPs) who arrived in Ireland after fleeing the war in Ukraine.
The ARP scheme is provided in Part 2 of the Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2022 and is administered by the Department of Social Protection on behalf of the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. In line with extensions of the EU Temporary Protection Directive (TPD), the ARP scheme was initially extended to 31 March 2024 and then to 31 March 2025.
As the TPD is now extended to March 2026, consideration is being given to the extension of the ARP scheme. Resolutions must be passed by both Houses of the Oireachtas before this Order is made. A decision will be reached in respect of the ARP shortly.
990. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if her Department, or any body under its aegis, currently outsources cleaning services and/or service officer/security officer roles to private companies; the value and length of any related contract, by body, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3191/25]
View answerI can confirm to the Deputy that my Department operates from a number of building locations including:
Block 1 Miesian Plaza, 50 – 58 Lower Baggot Street, Dublin. D02 XW14. (Floors 2 and 3).
Montague Court, 7 – 11 Montague Street, Dublin. D02 FT96. (Floors 2 and 3).
Citywest Transit Hub, Garter Lane, Saggart, Co. Dublin, D24 KF8A.
Cleaning and security services in the Miesian Plaza office are supplied by One Complete Solution (OCS), the company contracted to provide facilities management services. This contract is managed by the Department of Health as lead tenant in the building and as such they are best placed to provide information on the length and value of the contract.
Security services in Montague Court are provided by the landlord. For Montague Court, we have a contract with One Complete Solutions (OCS) for the provision of facilities management services in the building. Cleaning forms one aspect of this particular contract. Accordingly, the full value of this contract is not included in the table below but rather the total spend to date on cleaning in Montague Court since the contract commenced in September 2021.
Concerning the Cleaning and security services in the Citywest Transit Hub, the outsourcing of cleaning and security services to private companies is very limited and is only undertaken where there is a clear cost saving to the Department.
In the case of the Citywest Transit Hub, the security and cleaning companies that are contracted to provide staff to the accommodation area are also used to supply staff to the office floors in the same building. This arrangement maximises flexibility, minimises staff numbers and is the most cost effective arrangement for the site. The details of the relevant contracts are listed below in tabular form as requested.
The length and value of the relevant contracts are recorded in the table below.
|
Building |
Service |
Name of Company |
Value of Contract |
Length of Contract |
|
Montague Court |
Cleaning Services |
OCS |
€71,893.11(as above this is total spend since contract commenced) |
13/09/2021 to date. Two Year contract with option to extend for one year, and one further subsequent year. |
|
Citywest |
Cleaning Services |
AFM Facilities Management |
€200,000 + vat per annum |
Commenced June 2022 and can be terminated "by serving 4 weeks written notice to the provider |
|
Citywest |
Service Officer Role |
Nil |
N/A |
N/A |
|
Citywest |
Security Officer Role |
Superior NI Group Holdings Ltd (EUR) / Mac Security Ltd |
€400,000 + vat per annum |
Commenced June 2022 and can be terminated with "one month’s notice". |
I have asked the aegis bodies under my Department to reply to you directly on this matter:
|
Child & Family Agency (Tusla) |
|
Ombudsman for Children’s Office |
|
Adoption Authority of Ireland |
|
Gaisce |
|
Oberstown |
|
Irish Human Rights & Equality Commission |
|
National Disability Authority |
|
Office of the Director of Authorised Intervention, Tuam |
991. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if her Department, or any body under its aegis, currently directly employs cleaners and/or service officers; if so, the number of staff employed in each role; the value and length of any related contract, by body, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3209/25]
View answerThere are 3 Services Officers currently employed by my Department on a permanent basis. No cleaners are directly employed by my Department.
The Civil Service agencies under the aegis of the Department will respond directly to the Deputy in respect of their own organisations.
992. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the total value of the annual mileage claims for each Ministers of State assigned to her Department in 2023 and 2024 respectively; to provide a breakdown for each year of the individual claims; the annual cost of overnight allowances related to the civilian drivers of each relevant Minister of State in 2023 and 2024; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3245/25]
View answerMy Department is currently collating the information requested and a reply will issue directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
