Questions

639. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will examine concerns raised by an early years provider (details supplied) regarding the new one-per-room restriction on AIM level seven maintenance of reduced ratio arrangements; and to clarify the policy and evidence-based rationale for the change and its operation in respect of existing AIM allocations. [68169/26]

42. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the work her Department is undertaking to support professionalisation within the childcare sector, including measures to strengthen career pathways and workforce development; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47463/26]

94. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the work her Department is undertaking to support improved pay and sustainable wage levels within the childcare sector; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47465/26]

780. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the actions are being taken to address difficulties in securing childcare places under the NCS sponsorship scheme; if funding levels have been reviewed; whether incentives for providers to accept sponsored children are being considered; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45226/26]

505. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of recipients of the national childcare scheme and the early childhood care and education programme, broken down by electoral division of recipients, not Local Electoral Area, for the most recent year for which data is available; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36435/26]

167. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for an update on the measures being taken to reduce the administrative burden on childcare providers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28462/26]

180. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for an update on progress in relation to the State's acquisition of childcare facilities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28461/26]

131. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality when she expects premises and projects for investment to be identified as part of the move to State acquisition of buildings to provide childcare services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12390/26]

174. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether she has plans to introduce new rules to regulate non-refundable childcare deposits, given that they can be substantial, particularly for families who join multiple waiting lists in order to secure a childcare place; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12391/26]

960. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the engagement her Department will have with the Land Development Agency as part of the move to State acquisition of childcare buildings; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10396/26]

868. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the timeline her Department envisages from identification of areas of high unmet demand for childcare provision to the provision of fully operational places under a State-led acquisition model; the way in which her Department plans to ensure timely delivery for families in those areas; and if she will make a statement on the matter. […

535. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the provisions being made for childcare providers participating in core funding to cover the cost of PRSA contributions.; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [71187/25]

545. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for an update on the progress being made in relation to reviewing the 2001 planning guidelines for childcare facilities; if an audit of facilities granted planning permission to date would provide important insights into their effectiveness as part of this; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53866/25]

161. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she has considered the impact of the automatic enrolment retirement savings system on childcare providers as an additional cost; if there is guidance available for providers on this; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52341/25]

85. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will consider the construction or acquisition of State-owned childcare facilities in Dublin mid-west, given the high demand for places locally, and in the context of Programme for Government commitments on the delivery of public childcare infrastructure; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49905/25]

543. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for an update on the development of a forward planning model to identify and compare areas in terms of childcare need; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49815/25]

544. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for an update on progress being made to reduce the administrative burden on childcare providers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49816/25]

545. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her Department is considering policies to incentivise early learning and childcare providers to operate an extended timetable to accommodate parents requiring earlier drop-off or later collection times; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49817/25]

210. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if the new forward planning unit will be engaging with city and county childcare committees on the planned provision of public childcare infrastructure in light of the Revised National Planning Framework; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40020/25]

211. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality what the plans are for the operation of new public childcare infrastructure in light of the Revised National Planning Framework; if there is a preference for community-based provision or if private providers will be permitted to lease such facilities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40021/25]

661. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she is aware of the shortage of childcare places in the Citywest and Saggart area; and to set out what action her Department is taking to address it. [36088/25]

113. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the measures being taken to ensure childcare facilities delivered through housing developments are made operational and accessible to providers at viable rates; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24730/25]

100. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the measures being taken to ensure childcare facilities delivered through housing developments made operational and accessible to providers at viable rates; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20771/25]

406. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the efforts being undertaken to progressively reduce childcare costs, including plans to review core funding to establish a forward planning and delivery unit within her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12978/25]

1442. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the scoping carried out with regard to the opening of additional childcare facilities in Adamstown, Lucan. [12570/25]