Parliamentary questions

861. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will mandate city and county councils to identify land and premises that would be suitable for community childcare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36976/26]

862. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the interaction that takes place between county childcare committees and city and county councils to provide community childcare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36977/26]

863. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of early years education settings and childcare settings that have pulled out of CORE funding for each Dublin community childcare catchment area, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36978/26]

864. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the steps she is taking to poverty proof the national childcare scheme (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37000/26]

865. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the steps her Department is taking to improve access to the national childcare scheme for children at risk of poverty who had more access to childcare under the former community childcare subvention scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37001/26]

866. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will review the eligibility criteria of the national childcare scheme to ensure that children's developmental needs, rather than parental labour market status, are the primary determinant of hours awarded; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37002/26]

867. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the measures in place to ensure the financial sustainability of not for profit, community based childcare services in areas of disadvantage, particularly in Fingal where such services make up a disproportionately small share of overall provision; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37003/26]

868. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her Department has examined alternative funding models for community childcare, including funding childcare places rather than hourly capitation per child; whether a "poverty premium" has been considered to reflect enhanced supports provided in disadvantaged settings; and if she will make a statement on the matter…

869. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality what assessment has been carried out on the risk of closure or reduction in opening hours of community childcare services following the withdrawal of CCS and full implementation of the national childcare scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37005/26]

870. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the average processing time for sponsored childcare referrals under the national childcare scheme; the steps being taken to address significant delays reported by community childcare providers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37006/26]

871. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether she will introduce nationally consistent criteria for awarding sponsored childcare places, including clarity on eligibility and hours, given wide regional variation in current practice; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37007/26]

872. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will consider backdating funding for sponsored childcare places where services provide care during referral delays to meet urgent child welfare needs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37008/26]

873. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the supports available for parents with low literacy or digital skills who are required to complete national childcare scheme applications; whether alternative, simplified application pathways are being considered; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37009/26]

874. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the steps being taken to reduce the administrative burden on childcare providers arising from NCS registration, CHICK number expiry and funding changes, which divert staff time away from direct work with children; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37043/26]

875. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether Tusla maintains statistics on the number of Emergency Care Orders involving children under one year of age in each year from 2020 to 2026, in tabular form. [37064/26]

876. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of Emergency Care Orders involving children under one year of age which subsequently resulted in the child being returned to parental care within 30 days, 90 days and six months respectively, in each year since 2020. [37065/26]

877. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether any external inspection body, internal audit unit, or safeguarding review mechanism has ever examined the proportionality or evidential basis of Emergency Care Orders involving infants under one year of age. [37066/26]

878. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether Tusla conducts any retrospective case review where an Emergency Care Order involving an infant is subsequently discharged, overturned, or not renewed by the courts. [37067/26]

879. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether national guidance exists governing evidential thresholds and proportionality assessments for Emergency Care Order applications involving newborn babies and infants. [37068/26]

880. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether regional variation exists in the rate of Emergency Care Orders involving children under one year of age and whether comparative analysis is conducted by Tusla. [37069/26]

881. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether consideration has been given to establishing an independent post-decision review mechanism for emergency child removals involving infants under one year of age. [37070/26]

882. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to provide an update on plans to charge childminders and ECCE providers commercial rates; where this process is at; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37084/26]

883. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality her views on the options for parents using childminders who are not yet registered with Tusla in terms of them being able to access financial support with costs, especially given the very low number of childminders who have registered; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37085/26]

884. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality when the review of childminding regulations will take place. [37086/26]

885. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to provide details of bilateral engagements undertaken by her or officials in her Department with Member States in relation to the proposed European Union Equal Treatment Directive in advance of Ireland's Presidency of the Council of the European Union; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37089/26]