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Taoiseach, Tánaiste and the Minister of State, I have to say I was in disbelief at what was announced on childcare in the budget yesterday. In the last two weeks it has been reported that between Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil there has been a wrestle between reducing … costs for parents or building childcare capacity. This budget does neither. We are all well aware that there are three big issues. They are the cost for parents, the severe lack of childcare places and pay and terms and conditions for our early years educators. If there

children out of poverty, targeted energy credits at 800,000 households, abolished the means test for carers, reduced the cost of childcare for families while rolling out a public model, introduced a weekly cost of disability payment, and turbocharged the delivery of affordable housing. Instead, it of course … payment. The Government could have done this. Today, its announced measures simply will not work. When it comes to early years education and childcare, this budget is an abject failure. The Government has focused on one of the three Cs affecting the childcare sector. It has made

people who live in it. The future of that economy is the children who are raised in it, and they are being failed. Childcare is an essential service, not just for families but also for the economy. Almost half of one-parent households with children live in deprivation … Access to affordable, quality childcare is one of the key factors to take children out of poverty. Parents in this State pay among the highest costs for childcare in the OECD. These high childcare costs are forcing families into poverty. They are forcing women out of the workforce

households would receive a €400 energy credit. Many public services that are free or heavily subsidised in other countries are exorbitantly priced here. Childcare is just one example. Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil made solemn commitments to families about the cost of childcare during the election. They promised … really interested in reducing the cost of living, it would prioritise investment in public services like education, high-quality housing, healthcare and childcare. Can the Minister of State imagine how a parent feels to see his or her own child grow up in poverty while the country

treated as such. It is also an extraordinarily tragic and saddening incident. I thank the Deputy for raising the issue of childcare. I will speak directly to the Minister, Deputy Foley, about the issue she has highlighted in relation to Pobal and the drawdown of grants and where … that is at. I will ask the Minister to come back to her directly. We are absolutely committed to reducing the cost of childcare to €200 per month during the lifetime of the Government. I will also acknowledge that the Labour Party was the first party to propose

services that is so urgently needed for disabled people. The second is to deliver more affordable, accessible and high quality early learning and childcare. The third is to boost support for the essential child welfare and protection services delivered by Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. There … allocated to disability, just over half of all funding allocated to my Department. Another €1.48 billion has been allocated to early learning and childcare funding in budget 2026, which is an increase of €125 million in current funding. The allocation for Tusla, the Child and Family Agency

tír seo. People are looking at this budget today and are asking where are the promises from election 2024, where are the childcare fee cuts, where is the free GP care, and where are the 4,000 extra hospital beds. They will wonder how a Government that … introduction of a second-tier child benefit payment, by supporting families' ability to work through the provision of affordable and available childcare, by supporting families' ability to deal with the cost of living by extending free GP care, by expanding free public transport travel and by a permanent

election debate the Tánaiste said the Fine Gael manifesto was proposing that within 100 days of being in Government capping monthly childcare costs per child at €200 per month. He has completely and utterly broken that promise. His promises on childcare have left parents feeling betrayed. He made … putting costs for childcare one of the central planks of his election campaign. He has just published his first budget and childcare costs were not reduced by a single cent. I have been contacted by parents who are at breaking point trying to pay these enormous childcare fees

with tackling climate change. It is not with workers. It is not with disabled people. It is not with parents struggling to pay childcare costs or families who cannot pay an electricity bill. It is not with the more than 200,000 children living in poverty … parties spent the entire election saying if they were elected and returned to government, fees would be capped at €200 per month for childcare. This would be life-changing for so many families who are spending €1,000 or more every month on childcare fees. As we speak

assist them in the midst of a cost-of-living crisis that persists unabated. This is starkly true in the case of childcare, in which what he has brought forward is entirely inadequate. Families have been let down. So too have their children, whose futures … hands. Last September, Sinn Féin published a comprehensive and fully costed plan to introduce childcare capped at €10 a day for all starting in September 2025. I welcome that Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael lifted this policy from Sinn Féin in advance of the general election

programme for Government, we made a commitment to reduce the cost of childcare for a child to €200 per month under the national childcare scheme. Along with hard-pressed families, I strongly welcomed this. A problem arises when providers pull out of the core funding scheme. In some … facilities out but keep others in for various reasons. As I have seen in my constituency, when that happens the cost of childcare can rise to up to €1,300 per month per child. It has risen to €1,256 in the case of one set of parents

family payments are also increasing by €60 for all families. We will raise the thresholds for those receiving income-assessed subsidies to make childcare more affordable and increase access to childcare, with 35,000 more children to benefit from the national childcare scheme next year. We will also … invest €52 million in core funding to improve pay, which is a really important issue as we have heard from childcare providers across the country, and to help them grow capacity in the sector. The Minister for children, Deputy Foley, is in the process of developing the action

were elected on last November. Not one cent has been set aside for the introduction of the new public model of childcare, the approach that will finally ensure there is an early learning and childcare place for every child who needs one. There is nothing about the second … being supported in the same way that children outside of international protection are? In terms of the delivery of the public model of childcare, there was agreement among political parties during the general election that we needed to make that sea change. That is a massive change

work hand in hand with people with disabilities, their families, and representative organisations to shape a long-term vision for services to 2030. Childcare Just as we strengthen support for people with disabilities, we are equally committed to delivering systems that support and protect our young people … progress in this area, I am increasing funding for early years by €125 million in 2026, bringing total investment in early learning and childcare to €1.5 billion. This will fund: the national childcare scheme with more than 285,000 children set to benefit from the scheme

will quote it for him again. He said the Fine Gael manifesto is proposing within 100 days of being in government capping monthly childcare costs per child at €200 per month. Then he went on to talk about what he was going to do on college fees … people. Anyone listening to that would realistically expect that, at least in the first budget, the Government would do meaningful things to reduce childcare fees, if not what he actually said in the TV debate. However, the Tánaiste did neither what he promised people in the TV debate

their communities. Yesterday we saw no increase in child benefit for that couple with two children, yet they will face increased fuel, food, childcare and medical costs. Many of the families I deal with use child benefit for rainy days when they must cover an increased bill … have fully abolished the means test for carers. The Government seems to have gone back on its promise of delivering that €200 in childcare fees. We needed to see real and radical policy change towards a public model of early years learning, education and school-age childcare

bargain, carers who are local authority tenants will pay €2 out of the €10 increase in carer's allowance in increased rent. Childcare is another broken promise. Again, in the run-up to the general election, all parties committed to a maximum €200 per month for childcare costs … There is no sign of it in this budget. There is also no sign of the promised move to a public model of childcare. Children availing of childcare should do so on the same basis as children attending primary school. Tackling poverty is another broken promise. This budget

movement on the big commitments Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael made during the general election. There is no start on the public childcare model or the second tier of child benefit, nor is there an abolition of the means test for carers. When it comes to the environment … both Government parties during the general election, has been kicked down the road. There is also no start on a public model for childcare. Giving the State capacity to set up public childcare in areas where the spaces are not currently there is the only way the State

time last year we could not open the newspapers without seeing the Government make promise after promise to families desperately in need of childcare. They were told the Government could do something quickly about the cost of childcare in the early part of Government and we now know … original grant will not cover the cost of works. This is a deadly serious situation. Thousands of families are on waiting lists for childcare. Some 33,000 children under the age of three were on a waiting list last year and 10,000 children are waiting

with regard to the underdelivery of the social housing targets and, indeed, what we are seeing now with regard to childcare places. This is an issue that was raised with the Department during the summer. I raised it last week, and we have seen no response, frankly, from … Department on these issues. It is deadly serious for parents. Mothers are unable to return to work because of the lack of childcare availability. Parents are having to reduce hours and, of course, there are thousands out there who want to rejoin the labour force after many years

backs of the students of Ireland. He has double-crossed them. It is another broken promise. The third one is on childcare costs. Speaking to the Irish Independent in October last year, just a month before the general election, he pledged to deliver €200 per month childcare … quickly. I believe it can be delivered in the early time of the government." Fine Gael pledged to produce an action plan on childcare costs within the first 100 days of Government. We are now on day 259. Where is the plan? Where is the urgency

Every party in this Dáil gave that commitment and we stand by that commitment. However, we have outlined a record budget for childcare of €1.5 billion. The national childcare scheme is now funded for an additional 35,000 children next year. There is a 14% increase … minimum rate of pay for educators that takes effect next Monday. That is helping to ensure we have people working in childcare facilities to mind our children and educate them. There is also funding for further pay increases for their staff next year as well and we extended

Party pushed for. It will cost more than abolishing the means test for carers, which we have also pushed for, more than capping childcare fees at €50 per week, and more than extending the back to school clothing and footwear allowance to every child in the country … will put into DEIS Plus. We want to see DEIS Plus rolled out, but we are not seeing any detail on this. Childcare has been a real damp squib. Deputy Marie Sherlock has pointed out that the Government is funding 2,300 additional places through the building blocks

existing recipients of carer's allowance with money to spare. We all heard the promise before the election of €200 a month for childcare. We know that Ireland spends the least on childcare in the whole OECD. We have the worst childcare to wage ratio in the OECD … have the most privatised childcare system in the world with 75% being provided by private companies. Yet the Government turns around and does nothing, again waiting for another four budgets. Does it know that children grow up over the course of four budgets? Workers are paying for this

Micheál. That is the reality. Above anybody else, you have been the architect of that. Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael committed to cap childcare costs. Remember that one, Simon. That was the policy that you copied from Sinn Féin and you are welcome to it but we want … days came and went, 200 days came and went but still no roadmap. He said earlier this year "Reducing the cost of childcare is a priority for me and I can tell you as leader of Fine Gael we will make real progress on the cost of childcare

Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to outline the start-up funding schemes currently available to individuals or organisations seeking to establish a childcare service, including early learning and childcare and school age childcare services; the eligibility criteria for each scheme; if consideration will be given to expanding

Troy asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will clarify whether holes in funding have been identified in the community childcare sector as a result of the recently announced employment regulation order and the new round of core funding; if she will confirm if core … funding will cover the entirety of the enforced wage increases across all community childcare settings; and, if not, if she will confirm the way in which these services will be supported further. [57547/25

Disability and Equality if she is aware that, 100 years after the foundation of the State, there is still no statutory provision for childcare services through the medium of Irish, outside of the Gaeltacht; if she accepts that this represents a significant gap in the State's commitment … steps she intends to take to ensure that parents who wish to raise their children through Irish have access to Irish-medium childcare nationwide, with particular emphasis on areas designated by the Government as Gaeltacht service towns and Irish-language networks. [56870/25

Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality her views on concerns around the privatization of childcare providers in Fingal (details supplied) and initiatives her Department is taking increase the amount of publicly owned childcare services; and if she will make a statement

Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the measures that will be taken to progressively reduce the cost of childcare to €200 per month per child through the national childcare scheme; if options will be explored to cap costs for larger families

community in a given area or at a given time, or that the individual was unable to cooperate due to being in employment, childcare-related issues or their need to access mental health, health or addiction supports), whether his Department intends to put mechanisms in place to ensure … given a community service order of, say, 300 hours, they can complete these in a manner that takes into account existing employment or childcare obligations, or that they may need to be in addiction counselling at a time that might coincide with the order. [54117/25

Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the status of a dedicated state agency for early learning and childcare, which would undertake functions currently carried out by Pobal Early Years, the 30 City and County Childcare Committees as well as operational functions currently undertaken

Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to outline the details of the new maximum childcare fee cap for learning and childcare services, to include details on when the fee cap will be rolled out; the process for parents to apply; the qualifying criteria

Children, Disability and Equality the level of grant aid that will be available in 2026 for the upgrading or provision of new childcare accommodation, both for community providers and private providers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57483/25

Equality if she will clarify the elements of the recently announced core funding changes & employment regulation order in relation to the childcare sector; and the percentage of core funding announced which will be ringfenced for wage increases focusing on the level of training and experience. [57546/25

Children, Disability and Equality if she will publish a report (details supplied) on the review of processes linked to publicly funded early learning childcare schemes; if she will provide a summary of the report findings to Dáil Éireann; and if she will make a statement on the matter

asked the Minister for Health the work being carried out in her Department to improve access to EpiPens in local communities, schools, and childcare settings; and if she will consider including allergy awareness and response training as part of essential first aid programme requirements. [57551/25

Equality for an update on a report (details supplied) on the end-to-end processes linked to publicly funded early learning and childcare schemes/programmes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57021/25

Cooney asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the plans her Department has to progressively reduce the cost of early learning and childcare to €200 per month per child during the lifetime of the Government; the proposed timeline for the roll-out of this plan

asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality of the additional 35,000 children anticipated to be supported in 2026 by the national childcare scheme, the portion which results from changes to our population size and demographic composition; the portion which results from new measures in Budget

first and full-year cost, in terms of additional core funding required, to deliver on the €295 per week maximum fee cap for childcare that was introduced by Government; and if a separate funding stream that is not core funding is being employed to specify same. [56110/25

Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children in Kildare on a waiting list for childcare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56132/25

first and full-year cost, in terms of additional core funding required, to deliver on the €295 per week maximum fee cap for childcare that was introduced by Government; and if a separate funding stream that is not core funding is being employed, to specify same. [56135/25

what the €3 million allocated to community centres will be used for; the amount that will be used for the provision of community childcare, that is, creche, Montessori, breakfast clubs and after school clubs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56124/25

Equality if she has received funding in Budget 2026 for a parent and toddler grant initiative in 2026 through the county and city childcare committees; if she can give an indication of when in 2026 the call for this grant might be made; and if she will make

Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the measures that have been taken to address the huge shortage of childcare places in Milltown, mid and south Kerry (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55965/25

Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for an update regarding the gradual reduction of childcare costs, as committed to in the Programme for Government; the steps she has taken to progress this policy; the timeline for the publication of an official plan

Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the current status of the national childcare strategy; when a formal strategy document is expected to be published; if stakeholder consultation has been completed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55253/25

Minister for Children, Disability and Equality when the forward planning unit within her Department will publish outputs from its work on mapping childcare provision and identifying gaps; if this data will be made available, by county and constituency; and if she will make a statement on the matter

Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the timeline for implementing targeted measures to address the deficit of childcare places in constituencies such as Dublin Fingal West; if capital investment or capacity-building supports are planned for areas with sustained population growth