Questions

857. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of childminders currently registered with Tusla in Cork city and Cork county, respectively; the number of childminders who have registered under the new regulatory framework; the measures being taken to encourage more childminders to register and provide additional childcare capacity; and if she will make a statement on the ma…

858. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children currently waiting for a place in a crèche or early learning and childcare service in Cork City and Cork County, respectively; the steps being taken to address the shortage of childcare places; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [74502/26]

859. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the amount of funding ring-fenced in the current budget to provide additional early learning and childcare places in Cork city and Cork county; the number of additional places this funding is expected to deliver; the timeline for making these places available; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [74504/26]

642. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the current capacity of registered school-age childcare (before-school and afterschool/“sherpa”) services in Ballincollig, Cork north central; whether her Department or Tusla holds data on unmet demand for such places in the area; whether her Department has been notified of any existing provider in Ballincollig withdrawing or reducing af…

643. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the assessment her Department has made of the impact of population growth in Ballincollig, Cork north central on demand for school-age childcare places; whether the County Childcare Committee structure in Cork has flagged Ballincollig as an area of capacity concern; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47802/26]

811. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether Tusla has produced a business case, implementation plan, capacity model, workforce plan or other strategic document setting out how dependency on private residential childcare placements will be reduced; whether such documents contain annual milestones for the period 2026 to 2030; and if she will make a statement on the matter. […

1005. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether a standardised national reporting framework now exists for expenditure on private residential childcare placements. [39856/26]

1012. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether she will provide the ten private residential childcare placement providers that received the highest level of Tusla expenditure in 2024, together with the total amount paid to each provider. [39863/26]

1018. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether Tusla has identified any risks associated with market concentration or dependency on a small number of private residential childcare providers. [39869/26]

758. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the total annual expenditure by Tusla on private childcare placements for each year from 2020 to 2026, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32432/26]

759. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children placed in private childcare placements funded by Tusla in each year from 2020 to 2026; and the proportion this represents of all children in State-funded care. [32433/26]

760. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the average annual cost per child of private childcare placements funded by Tusla, and the comparative average cost per child in public or directly provided placements, for each year since 2020; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32434/26]

761. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether her Department has conducted or commissioned any comparative cost analysis between private and public childcare placements since 2020; if so, to provide details and findings; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32435/26]

762. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality what governance framework is in place within her Department to oversee expenditure by Tusla on private childcare placements; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32436/26]

763. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether her Department requires Tusla to report on value-for-money, cost drivers, or financial performance in respect of private childcare placements; if so, the frequency and format of such reporting; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32437/26]

764. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether private childcare placements funded by Tusla are explicitly identified as a financial or governance risk within Departmental or Tusla risk registers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32438/26]

765. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality what mechanisms are in place to ensure that rates paid to private providers represent value for money over the lifetime of a placement, beyond the initial procurement or tendering process; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32439/26]

766. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether she has requested, or intends to request, that the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General undertake an examination of the cost-effectiveness or value-for-money of private childcare placements funded by Tusla; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32440/26]

767. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether any internal or external review, evaluation, or audit of outcomes, cost-effectiveness, or long-term value of private childcare placements is planned; and if so, the timeline and scope; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32441/26]

485. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether a national policy framework exists governing the pricing of private residential childcare placements funded by the State; and if she will outline the key components of that framework. [29297/26]

486. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether standardised national pricing bands, cost ceilings, or benchmark rates are applied to private residential childcare placements; and if so, the basis on which such rates are determined. [29298/26]

487. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the approval process required where the cost of a private residential childcare placement exceeds any standard or indicative rate; and the level of authorisation required in such cases. [29299/26]

488. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the total annual expenditure by Tusla on private residential childcare placements for each of the past five years, in tabular form. [29300/26]

489. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the average weekly cost per private residential childcare placement for each of the past five years; and the range between the lowest and highest weekly placement costs in each year. [29301/26]

490. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether her Department or Tusla has identified any upward trend in the cost of private residential childcare placements; and if so, the factors identified as driving such increases. [29302/26]