Ceisteanna Parlaiminte

Early School Leavers

Mattie McGrath

118. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the reason that the Access and Inclusion Model (AIM) scheme is restricted by age limits, whereby children must have reached the age of two years and eight months before 1 September, meaning that any children who have not reached this age are met with inflexibility and will be unable to qualify for a further seven months; the further supports that can be provided for children with additional needs who have been informed they can no longer be accommodated in their childcare facility due to their additional needs without the support of AIM and where a child has missed the cut-off point and is now ineligible for supports until they reach the age of three-and-a-half years; the reason that children can be excluded from a childcare facility due to their additional needs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50468/22]

Children in Care

Catherine Murphy

119. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will provide the details of each privately run residential care home for children placed in State care; and the number of children currently placed in each residential care home, in tabular form. [50491/22]

Children in Care

Catherine Murphy

120. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if HIQA conducts inspections of private residential care homes for children in State care; and if so, the number of inspections that have taken place in each of the years 2019 to 2021 and to date in 2022. [50492/22]

Children in Care

Catherine Murphy

121. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if Tusla has contracted private companies to conduct inspections of private residential care homes for children in State care; if so, the details of the companies that have been contracted; the total value of contracts awarded; and the number of inspections carried out by each contractor, to date, in tabular form. [50493/22]

Early Childhood Care and Education

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

122. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if his attention has been drawn to the shortage of early childhood care and education places in the Drumcondra, Griffith Avenue area of Dublin; and if more early childhood education and childcare places will be provided. [50540/22]

Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries

Catherine Connolly

123. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth further to Parliamentary Question No. 516 of 29 March 2022, when the report of the Collaborative Forum of Former Residents of Mother and Baby Homes and Related Institutions, submitted to him in December 2018, will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50701/22]

Departmental Strategies

Catherine Connolly

124. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will provide an update on the development of the Autism Innovation Strategy; the expected timeline for the finalisation and publication of the Strategy; if he will provide details of the Autism Innovation Strategy oversight and advisory group; the number of times that the group has met to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50702/22]

Departmental Projects

Catherine Connolly

125. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will provide details of the research commissioned by his Department, and being carried out by the ESRI, into the housing situation of children; when he expects to receive and publish the final report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50703/22]

Covid-19 Pandemic Supports

Claire Kerrane

524. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the supports that are in place for workers with children who are required to isolate or stay at home due to Covid-19, in circumstances where the parent has to take time off work to care for the child and has to suffer a financial loss or take time from annual leave; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50206/22]

Adoption Services

Thomas Pringle

525. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will ensure that adoption information applications can be received from people resident in the United States and that the inability of the system to accept US phone numbers will not be a barrier to them lodging an application; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49456/22]

United Nations

Martin Browne

526. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will provide an update on Ireland's ratification of the optional protocol of the UN Convention on the Rights of Peoples with Disabilities, as Ireland is one of the only EU states which has not ratified the treaty. [49459/22]

Ukraine War

Éamon Ó Cuív

527. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth when a decision will issue in relation to an email (details supplied) submitted by this Deputy to the Ukraine crisis temporary accommodation team on 10 August 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49490/22]

Childcare Services

Seán Haughey

528. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if the income assessed subsidy under the national childcare scheme will be increased following Budget 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49505/22]

Departmental Schemes

Neasa Hourigan

529. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if his attention has been drawn to a statement (details supplied) issued by United Nations human rights experts on 23 September 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49511/22]

Departmental Schemes

Paul Murphy

530. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the actions that he plans to take to provide those who were subjected to differential treatment in childcare institutions with effective remedies, through the mother and baby payment scheme, in particular to provide redress for the harms caused due to racial discrimination and systemic racism; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49544/22]

United Nations

Holly Cairns

531. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will ensure that the ratification process for the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Optional Protocol occurs separately to the first reporting cycle in the UNCRPD; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49632/22]

Residential Institutions

Holly Cairns

532. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the way in which his Department is facilitating and addressing subject data access requests by survivors of institutional abuse; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49633/22]

United Nations

Holly Cairns

533. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he intends to make reservations to the UNCRPD Optional Protocol; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49634/22]

Residential Institutions

Holly Cairns

534. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth his views on populating the Advisory Board, concerning the forthcoming examination of the Tuam site under the Institutional Burials Act 2022, with a wider cross-section of victims, survivors and their advocates and obliging the Advisory Board to consult widely with relevant victims/survivors, and for the Director to adhere to the recommendations of the Advisory Board. [49635/22]

Residential Institutions

Holly Cairns

535. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth his views on ensuring that an appropriately qualified person recruited for the purpose of excavating human remains as part of the forthcoming examination of the Tuam site under the Institutional Burials Act 2022, has expertise in forensic archaeology and forensic anthropology, preferably employing both disciplines, with demonstrable International qualifications, reputation and experience [49636/22]