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thank the Minister of State, Deputy Niamh Smyth, for coming to the House. I want to talk to her about childcare, particularly in Kilcullen, County Kildare, in my constituency. It was the end of July when I was contacted via email and phone by a number of families … Kilcullen about the lack of childcare in that growing town. I met with a large number of mothers on a very sunny day outside a local community centre. I was immediately struck by their concerns and the problems they were facing. I was informed about the Kilcullen Needs

thank the Deputy. Improving access to quality, affordable early learning and care and school-age childcare is a key priority for the Government. Capacity in this sector is increasing. Data from the annual early years sector profile for 2023 to 2024 shows that the estimated number of enrolments … increased by approximately 19% over the previous two years. School-age childcare has shown particular growth in recent years. The estimated number of enrolments for schoolgoing children nationally increased by 56% during this period. Moreover, 261 new school-age childcare services were added to the Tusla register

specific to Kilcullen, but I appreciate he is advocating for the parents in that local area who are left without childcare as an opportunity to allow them to go to work and to fulfil their daily lives and their careers. It is an issue we see nationally. However … this Government is committed to core funding being introduced to all of our childcare units around the country and trying to invest in childcare. There are myriad community childcare facilities around the country, as I am sure there are in County Kildare, and privately owned ones

planning guidelines for local authorities on early learning and childcare settings were issued under section 28 of the Planning and Development Act 2000. The guidelines are intended to ensure a consistent approach to the treatment of planning applications in respect to the land use planning aspects of early … learning and childcare provision. The programme for Government commits to reviewing the 2001 childcare facilities guidelines for planning authorities to ensure early learning and childcare spaces are provided and put to use for the purpose they were intended. The Planning and Development Act 2024 and the publication

have a rudimentary system from 2001, which provides that for every 75 homes the developer must provide 20 childcare places, but it is not working for a variety of reasons. The provision of childcare infrastructure cannot be based on such a basic formula alone. Like schools, we need … proper forward planning system based on demographics, assessment of need, new residential developments and that delivers appropriate childcare buildings based on the needs of that community. Instead, what we have now is crèches being built that are not fit for purpose or too expensive to be bought, kitted

will say clearly that childminders are a hugely important part of early learning and care and school-age childcare provision, and they continue to be the option of choice for many families. I am firmly behind the regulation of childminding services, which is critical to the safeguarding … objective of the national action plan for childminding is to enable parents who use childminders to benefit from State subsidies through the national childcare scheme. As a result of the commencement of the relevant parts of the Child Care (Amendment) Act 2024 and the childminding services regulations, childminders

recognise the progress that has been made and the advancements, particularly around the additional funding with the national childcare scheme, NCS, and with core funding. The reality of the situation still stands that the shortage of affordable childcare drives what is called the motherhood penalty, which … women, face after having children. This leads to many women having to reduce hours, turn down promotions or leave the workforce due to childcare constraints. It deepens gender pay gaps and limits career progression, particularly for single women and low-income women. I have multiple constituents and friends

raise the issue of childcare with the Taoiseach as well. Mary Geary's Childcare is one of the largest providers in the country. It is actually based in Carrigtohill, which is in Deputy O'Connor's constituency, but many of the families who use it reside … example of a large provider but the pressure that is put on us locally in terms of families trying to source alternative childcare is enormous and has been felt deeply. A survey carried out online recently by Indeed, the hiring company, where 1,000 parents were surveyed with

throughout the State, but it is particularly bad in the town of Kilcullen. Nowhere else that I know of has 110 families facing childcare difficulties in the one town. The population of Kilcullen is just over 4,000, so one can imagine the percentage of families seeking childcare … However, when there are new people coming to the town who, within six months, say they have to leave because of the childcare problem, it is an issue we all need to get involved in. I welcome the Minister of State's response. I look forward to meeting

region of €259 million has been allocated. In many constituencies, particularly in suburban areas like mine, we still face a severe lack of childcare places. One of the largest childcare providers in the country closed its doors to the scheme a couple of months ago in Carrigtwohill, east … Cork, namely Mary Geary's Childcare. That facility has 450 children. When somebody like that turns their back on the scheme, it is not that they wanted to; it is that the offering they give to parents far exceeds the minimum standards required. You might say that

this Government to ensure that we make provision for children of all ages. More specifically, the Deputy is interested in school-age childcare. We have had some very significant innovations I can point to. For example, in my time as the Minister for Education, I published procedures … opportunities would be utilised such as school buildings and sports halls, and very specifically that there would be opportunities for early learning and childcare providers to make use of school buildings or whatever, in this instance because the building would be empty after school and would

Time services in Ballymount, Dublin 2, Dundrum and Shankill, with six other sites remaining in the core funding. The Department, through the local childcare committee, has engaged directly with the provider in question to highlight the benefits of staying in core funding not only for their services … brings to the families accessing the services. For this coming programme year Once Upon a Time remains eligible to provide the national childcare scheme, the early childcare and education programme and the community childcare subvention plus saver programme

means that, along with targeted income measures, we will focus on concrete and measurable actions in respect of areas such as housing, employment, childcare, health and education. These cross-government actions will be outlined in the successor to the national poverty strategy, the roadmap for social inclusion … fuel allowance was also increased. The Government has also invested heavily in non-income services for families and children. We have significantly reduced childcare fees through the national childcare scheme. I tell Deputy Kenny that we have expanded the hot meals scheme to all primary schools. There

campaign of Deputy Catherine Connolly, who did get the required signatures. I have spoken to many parents in Kildare about a lack of childcare facilities. I have a question. In many new housing developments in Kildare, we are seeing empty-shell units of childcare facilities … feasible private enterprise, how is the Government going to intervene to roll out its programme for Government commitments regarding a public model of childcare

thank the Deputy for raising the issue of childcare facilities in Kildare. If a premises is left vacant for a lengthy period, it is, in the first instance, an issue for the local authority in Kildare to assess what can be done. The Government has invested a considerable … amount of money to fund childcare. I am conscious that one of the issues is trying to identify appropriate properties for the provision of childcare facilities. I will certainly speak to the relevant Minister, Deputy Foley, in respect of it and on whether anything is available for Kildare

Minister for an update on the review of the 2001 planning guidelines for childcare facilities whereby for 75 new homes, there should be the provision of 20 childcare places. The link between supply of new homes and childcare places has not been working effectively. I welcome

welcome and acknowledge the fact childminders can now provide supports of the national childcare scheme and that will perhaps encourage or allow parents the choice rather than choosing a formal childcare setting. This is particularly so in rural areas where childminders would be used a lot, especially where … they can provide flexibility that perhaps the formal childcare setting cannot. I have met representatives of Childminding Ireland and there are significant concerns and issues in regard to the regulations. Childminding Ireland's ask has been that, 18 months into the regulations, which is coming up shortly, there

have seen the enormous demand for childcare throughout the country, particularly in my own constituency of Kildare North. However, a lot of the focus has been on preschool and not on after-school childcare. It is extremely difficult for parents to find after-school care and also … back to work. What measures are being implemented to ensure this shortage of after-school childcare places does not act as a barrier to parents returning to the workforce

thank Deputy Currie very much for raising this issue and for the focus she rightly keeps on early learning and childcare. I thank her for her work in that regard. Certainly, we will discuss this with the Minister, Deputy Foley. The Government will be publishing an action plan … childcare, which endeavours to knit together the 21 programme for Government commitments on childcare. I expect that to happen in the coming weeks, either just before or, perhaps more likely, just after the budget. I wish to make one broad point that is slightly linked. While I fully

stores saw a 44% decrease and sports and athletic areas experienced a 38% reduction. There are low volumes of claims for accidents in childcare settings, a sector that has historically reported high insurance costs, but insurance is one of the reasons that paying for childcare is still like

that insurance is now one of their biggest bills and is more expensive than electricity in most cases. In west Waterford, a local childcare provider described to me how employer and public liability insurance has become such that she really questioned whether she would open her doors … September. Thankfully, she has, and we have averted the loss of really essential childcare spaces but it was touch and go and she is not confident that she will not make a loss because of the enormous cost of insurance. What we are calling for here is very

Minister about a number of key commitments in relation to childcare in early years in the programme for Government, specifically the broad consultation, the detailed action plan to ensure accessible, affordable, high-quality childcare and also the review of core funding. I ask her to provide us with

here before, an analysis was carried out with the family resource centre in Boyle, County Roscommon. That analysis found that there are 20 childcare places per 1,043 children for Boyle and its catchment area. A total of 77% of children aged between zero and four years … have no access to a childcare place. They would have liked, through the building blocks scheme, to purchase an existing building in the town. The limitations of the building blocks scheme - we have discussed this before - in that it applies to existing providers and to purchasing or building

Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality her plans to reduce the cost of childcare; the steps being taken to prevent the closure of early years and crèche services; if there is a timeframe in place to cap childcare costs

hours per week, which is the most common full-day care service, is €295 per week before State subsidies under the national childcare scheme and the ECCE programme are deducted. For those on the minimum level of subsidy, this will bring their out-of-pocket costs down … families say that if it were not a free service, they would never have been able to access it. The national childcare scheme complements the ECCE programme, giving universal and targeted subsidies to reduce costs for parents. Recent improvements include the extension of the universal subsidy to children

Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the measures in place to stop childcare providers from withdrawing from core funding, the reason there are no emergency measures to support families impacted by provider withdrawal; whether the national childcare scheme will be revised to reflect … actual market cost of childcare; the progress on a public childcare model that would offer greater stability; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44838/25

Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if Budget 2026 will include targeted investment to reduce childcare costs, given recent reports showing that average childcare payments now exceed mortgage repayments in most urban areas; and the projected fiscal cost of implementing a universal … childcare cap or subsidy model. [44937/25

Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of childcare providers that have left the national childcare scheme since the announcement of the childcare fee cap, in tabular form. [46018/25

Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of childcare providers in Dublin south central that have left the national childcare scheme since the announcement of the childcare fee cap, in tabular form. [46019/25

Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to provide a regional breakdown of the childcare providers who have withdrawn from core funding, including both the number and proportion of providers in Dublin; and the steps she plans to take to encourage these providers … return, so that parents are not left paying the equivalent of a mortgage for their childcare. [51601/25

Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she has received an update on the assessment of the administrative burden for providers of childcare services in complying with eligibility and record keeping under core funding and the national childcare scheme; the simplification proposals which she has implemented and those

Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if consideration will be given to restructuring the core funding model for childcare services with a view to providing additional funding to the scheme, to increase the cap on funding of €750,000 for larger childcare providers

Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if consideration will be given to restructuring the core funding model for childcare services with a view to removing the cap on funding for childcare providers, which has been reduced from

Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality her plans to reduce the cost of childcare; the steps being taken to prevent the closure of early years and crèche services; if there is a timeframe in place to cap childcare costs

asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her attention has been drawn to the concerns of parents with children attending a childcare centre (details supplied); the actions she will take to engage with management of this childcare centre on these concerns; and if she will make

Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her Department holds any statistics on the average cost of childcare in each of the past ten years; and the steps her Department is taking to reduce the cost of childcare. [49649/25

Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the action she is taking to alleviate childcare costs for parents forced to rely on childcare services that have withdrawn from the core funding scheme due to a lack of alternative options in their area

Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will outline her plans for the development of a childcare action plan to address the current childcare crisis in the country. [50026/25

existing capacity in community centres; if he will consider expanding existing community centres into multi-use spaces to offer not-for-profit community childcare functions such as but not limited to: creches, montessori's, breakfast clubs, after-school clubs where there is additional capacity found to be available … will consider this as a cost-efficient solution to the current dearth of affordable community childcare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37817/25

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 … public childcare infrastructure; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49905/25

Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she is aware of the lack of sufficient childcare services, particularly after school programmes in Cork (details supplied); the progress that her Department has made to date in expanding access to after-school childcare services

Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will outline, in the context of Budget 2026, whether the proposed additional investment in childcare will be directed solely towards core funding for providers or whether it will also include an increase to the standard national childcare scheme subsidy rate

Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of early learning and childcare services that exited or declined core funding by county and service type in 2025 to date; the number of enrolled children affected; and the reasons recorded by her Department … local city/county childcare committees (details supplied). [45122/25

Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality her plans to support childcare providers in the administrative burden in accessing Government funding in the national childcare scheme. [46017/25

Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the status of the provision of childcare places under the NCS in Athlone, in particular for children with urgent developmental needs; the steps being taken to ensure that approved NCS beneficiaries are not left without access … creche facilities, including any emergency childcare measures; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46566/25

Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for an update on the granting of an extension for a childcare service (details supplied) under the building blocks improvement scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51625/25

Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the total number of recipients of the national childcare scheme, by year from 2020 to date in 2025; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51727/25

Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the total number of recipients of the national childcare scheme universal subsidy, by year from 2020 to date in 2025; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51728/25

Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the total number of recipients of the national childcare income-assessed subsidy, by year from 2020 to date in 2025; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51729/25

Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the total cost of the national childcare scheme, by year from 2020 to date in 2025; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51730/25