Parliamentary questions

1211. Deputy Eamon Scanlon asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of applications submitted for the building blocks extension scheme by organisations in Counties Sligo and Leitrim; the number of successful and unsuccessful applications in each county; if the scheme will open again in 2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30325/25]

1212. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of hours individual assessment of needs are taking to complete in 2023 and 2024, by Year, by HSE CHO, number of assessments conducted, number of hours assessments took in the following time lengths, 0-30 hours, 30-60 hours, 60-90 hours, 90+ hours, in tabular form. [30346/25]

1213. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the total value of applications received under the recent building block grant scheme; if all eligible applications were funded under the scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30357/25]

1214. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will provide a breakdown of unsuccessful applications under the building block grant scheme, by county; the reason each application was unsuccessful; if there is an appeal mechanism for unsuccessful applicants; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30358/25]

1215. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of applications under the building block grant scheme which were unsuccessful due to the fact that the applicant did not own the land; if the Minister will examine a remedy for these providers for future rounds of the programme in order to provide much needed additional capacity; and if she will make a sta…

1216. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will provide an update on the work carried out to date to develop an action plan to build an affordable, high-quality, accessible early education and care system with State-led facilities adding capacity as committed in the Programme for Government; when she expects to publish this action plan; if she will con…

1217. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will outline the roadmap to reduce the cost of childcare to €200 per month per child; if she will provide an estimated timeframe to meet this key Programme for Government commitment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30361/25]

1218. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality her plans to provide capital investment to build or purchase State-owned childcare facilities; if this will be a priority for the Minister as part of the current review of the National Development Plan; the engagement she has had with the Minister for Public Expenditure to date on this matter; and if she will make a …

1219. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the engagement her Department has had with the Department of Education and Youth regarding the construction of childcare facilities at schools which can then be contracted out to providers; her views on how this model will be progressed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30363/25]

1220. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her Department is carrying out a mapping exercise to identify the parts of the country where State intervention in the provision of childcare is most acutely required; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30364/25]

1221. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for a breakdown of the number of new childcare providers who have entered the sector in each of the past five years, by county; the number of childcare providers who have left the sector in each of the past five years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30365/25]

1222. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality her plans to extend the National Childcare Scheme to childminders working in the family home; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30366/25]

1223. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the annual budget for the national childcare scheme in each year since it was introduced, in tabular form; the number of childcare providers in receipt of NCS funding in each of these years; the number of children being supported in each of these years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30367/25]

1224. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of eligible children not availing of the ECCE programme, by county; her views on the reasons some families are not taking up ECCE; the steps her Department is taking to address this; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30368/25]

1225. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the median full-time fees charged by childcare providers in each Local Authority area, in tabular form; the steps she plans to take to address significant fee variations across the country; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30369/25]

1226. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she provide an update on the work to date to transform the supply management unit into a forward planning and delivery unit within her Department to identify areas of need, forecast demand and deliver public supply within the childcare sector where required; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30370/2…

1227. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality her plans to ensure that childcare provider’s fees are open, transparent and equitable and readily available to parents as committed to in the Programme for Government; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30371/25]

1228. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality her views on the need to improve pay, terms and conditions within the childcare sector in order to attract and retain staff; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30372/25]

1229. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the staff turnover rate in early learning and care services in 2021-2022, 2022-2023 and 2023-2024, in each local authority area, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30373/25]

1230. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the annual staff turnover rate in community early learning and care services in 2021-2022, 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 in each local authority area, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30374/25]

1231. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the staff turnover rate in private early learning and care services in 2021-2022, 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 in each Local Authority area, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30375/25]

1232. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she has engaged with the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science in relation to the Programme for Government commitment to introduce an “earn and learn” apprenticeship model, enabling childcare staff to gain qualifications and advance their careers; and if she will make a statem…

1233. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality her plans to examine the establishment of a professional register for childminders and early years educators, reflecting the professionalism of the sector as committed in the Programme for Government; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30377/25]

1234. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she has engaged with the Minister for Education and Youth regarding the development of State-led childcare facilities in tandem with the school building programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30378/25]

1235. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the engagement she has had with the with the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage in relation to a review of the 2001 childcare facilities for planning authorities to ensure childcare spaces are provided and put into use; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30379/25]