Parliamentary questions

Social Welfare Payments

Kathleen Funchion

541. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth for further details on the rationale for the practice of the mother of a child entering foster care continuing to be paid child benefit for six months even though the child now resides with a foster family; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6513/24]

Childcare Services

Kathleen Funchion

542. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to provide an update on what changes his Department has made to charter of accounts; if his Department is still requiring accounts to be signed off by a chartered accountant; if he is aware that a number of services are finding it impossible to engage chartered accountants to do this work; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6522/24]

Health Services

Kathleen Funchion

559. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Health how many pregnancy loss clinics are in operation in Ireland; if there is a staffing shortage at present in these clinics; how often do these clinics offer appointments (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6083/24]

Covid-19 Pandemic

Kathleen Funchion

602. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Health if he will list all medications that are needed for long-Covid sufferers that are not available on the medical card; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6552/24]

Childcare Services

Kathleen Funchion

288. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the estimated associated costs to reduce the national childcare scheme income threshold to €40,000; the estimated number of children that would potentially benefit from lowering the threshold and all other cost implications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5907/24]

School Accommodation

Kathleen Funchion

163. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Education when a school in County Carlow (details supplied) will receive the funding for two modular classrooms that it was granted in June 2023, but is still being processed. [4923/24]

Visa Applications

Kathleen Funchion

347. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Justice the status of a visa application by a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5214/24]

Childcare Services

Kathleen Funchion

429. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth what capital funding has been allocated for 2023 to increase childcare places; if this funding will facilitate the building of purpose built childcare facilities; what specific plans his Department has through the NPD capital funding for expanding places for the zero to two years and eight months cohort when ECCE kicks in; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5044/24]

Childcare Services

Kathleen Funchion

430. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the costs associated with building a new community childcare facility, including associated costs; if any new facilities are being planned; if so, the location; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5045/24]

Early Childhood Care and Education

Kathleen Funchion

451. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the current percentage of ELC SAC services that are contracted to provide ECCE only and ECCE/ NCS for 2023 and 2024, in tabular form. [5423/24]

Early Childhood Care and Education

Kathleen Funchion

344. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the childcare fees being paid by parents at present, by county; and the childcare fees that will be paid by parents from September 2024, by county, in tabular form. [4680/24]

Foreign Birth Registration

Kathleen Funchion

135. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if his officials in the foreign births registration section will liaise with the parents of a child (details supplied); if he will confirm receipt of the application which was sent in December 2023 through the Irish embassy in Beijing China; the status of the application; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4242/24]

Childcare Services

Kathleen Funchion

457. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the total number of early years and SAC closures, by county. in 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024, in tabular form; the number of babyroom closures, by county, for 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024, in tabular form; if he has considered the policy paper drafted by an organisation (details supplied) to assess and react to early years, childcare and SAC closures; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3653/24]

Hospital Services

Kathleen Funchion

502. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Health if a person (details supplied) is referred to either St. James’s or St. Vincent's Hospital. [3726/24]

Departmental Funding

Kathleen Funchion

325. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the total number of children availing of his Department’s funding programmes (details supplied) in 2022, 2023, in tabular form. [3432/24]

Childcare Services

Kathleen Funchion

326. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the estimated number of childcare services that have signed core funding contracts; the total number who signed up for core funding and subsequently withdrew; the years they withdrew; and the estimated number of children that are not covered by NCS, in tabular form. [3433/24]

Departmental Data

Kathleen Funchion

327. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of children by county/ nationally that are not covered by his Department’s NCS subsidy excluding ECCE services. [3434/24]

Departmental Data

Kathleen Funchion

328. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the lowest, highest and average, geographically of fees actually currently being paid by parents in 2023/2024. [3435/24]

Departmental Data

Kathleen Funchion

407. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason a person (details supplied) has been waiting 14 weeks for a decision on their invalidity pension claim. [3062/24]

Prison Service

Kathleen Funchion

420. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Justice the number of physical family visits to prisons that took place in 2023, by the number of visits per prison and the number of visits with a child present, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2433/24]