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thank the Deputy. 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. The National Action Plan for Childminding 2021-2028 set out a pathway for the extension of regulation … singular objective of the national action plan is to enable parents who use childminders to benefit from State subsidies through the national childcare scheme. The Childcare Support Act 2018, which provides a statutory basis for the national childcare scheme, specifies that only Tusla-registered childminders are eligible

been engaging for nearly two years now and it has done a huge amount. These are very serious people. The Minister mentioned the childcare facilities that I have raised with him. There are three childcare facilities that are community run. The Minister has been talking about State … childcare facilities and all the rest but the three community childcare facilities in question – in Letterkenny, Raphoe and Ardara – are in buildings that are falling down. The one in Raphoe is already gone because the children are not safe in the building. With regard to the other

many years to come. These are practical measures. The Minister for children will update the Government this month on an action plan on childcare. This week, as Deputy Doherty will be glad to know because he is very worried about this, as he should be because … issue, the Minister announced a capital plan that will see a very significant level of funding for State-led childcare facilities. I am sure the Deputy welcomes this. It is a welcome development. We will commit, with Deputy Doherty and everyone in this House, to delivering during

supporting skills development in key areas for the economy such as housing and climate action. At €1.35 billion, investment in early learning and childcare reached record levels in 2025. National childcare scheme universal subsidies are worth up to €5,000 per child in 2025. In addition, the access … inclusion model is now supporting more than 8,000 children with a disability to access childcare. Budget 2026 will continue to see early learning and school-age care prioritised, with an increase in the allocation of 10%. This will support affordability measures including further reductions in the maximum

point. This week, the Minister, Deputy Foley, took a very important step forward in publishing the first instalment of the action plan on childcare. That has a number of areas on which she is endeavouring to move including on the issue of staffing and pay but also … Deputy made the point that one size does not fit all. There is not a one-size-fits-all model in relation to childcare. The parent has to have choice – that is really important – but even in a country as geographically small as Ireland there can be regional

case for themselves. That is not their own experience. They are dealing with what I might term broken promises on reducing childcare costs. We will see what the Government publishes tomorrow in its childcare plan. People spend endless hours in cars driving from a home that is some

have to respect the people who live in it and pay their taxes in it. We have a lot of discussions regarding childcare and many families are in dire straits. What frustrates me is what people are genuinely saying when I meet them. They say they have … when people honestly admit they have two good incomes coming into the home but they still cannot survive. There is something seriously wrong. Childcare costs are astronomical and are out of control. We have sat by idly in here and allowed that to happen. There is talk about

compared with what parents were paying last year. The Government promised that within 100 days it would produce a plan to reduce childcare fees to €200 per month. The 100 days are long gone and there is still no plan and no reduction in childcare fees

makes clear that childminding remains central to the Government's vision for the future of early learning and care and school-age childcare. The national action plan for childminding 2021-2028 sets out a pathway for the extension of regulation and supports to childminders. Implementation of that plan

Roughly 22,000 children will need childcare in County Clare by 2027. Only five services have registered and only 26 individual childminders have done the mandatory pre-registration training so far. With less than two years before these new regulations take effect, what is being done to ensure

will say again that I absolutely acknowledge that childminders are an incredibly important and valuable resource in the whole sphere of the childcare sector and I want them to continue in the business. I have to ensure they are regulated and, as has been said

smart and avoid that last-minute surge by putting in place a planned, targeted information campaign for next year, possibly using the childcare committees. This would ensure that any misinformation about the process is countered and that anyone who might be interested hears about this well before

positive suggestions for how we can collaboratively support childminders going forward. Already the Department provides funding to each of the county and city childcare committees so that there is a specific individual who is a childminding development officer in place in each of the committees to work directly

That matters because the cost-of-living crisis did not end on budget night. Families are still struggling with food prices, energy bills, childcare, transport and rents. People are working just as hard - indeed, often harder - yet falling further behind. The budget has locked in hardship

your record on housing. The Government's list of broken promises does not end there. You promised to deliver a roadmap to reduce childcare fees to €200 a month in your first 100 days of office. Nearly a year in, we got a half-baked plan from

Deputy Peter Roche asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance whether his Department has assessed the cumulative impact of rising energy, childcare and housing costs on households that do not qualify for means-tested supports; whether targeted tax credit adjustments are under consideration in future budget preparations

question is about what assessment the Department of Finance has carried out of the cumulative increase in costs in things like energy, childcare and housing, and the effect that has on hard-pressed working families. Will that assessment result in any particular policy change, for example, more targeted

that, for example, housing is much more expensive in cities. There is no recognition of the fact that if you are running a childcare facility in my constituency of Dún Laoghaire, your rent will be higher as will the rent paid by your staff. I raised with

They are; 30 schools are falling this year. And childcare

cost-of-disability payment, which was promised in a report in 2021 that has not yet been acted on. It could have reduced childcare costs as promised during the election, but that has not happened. It could have lifted 40,000 children out of poverty

Those are insane amounts of money. That is making millionaires out of CEOs at a time when people cannot afford childcare or housing. It shows how out of touch the Government is. Last year the CSO identified that in-work poverty was 5.9%. That equates to more than

encourages the use of school buildings and school sports facilities outside of school hours for community and recreational purposes where feasible, including childcare and after school uses. Over the past number of years, we developed a project that was one of the first where schools collaborated with

Minister nearly said "childcare" there

money into capital, State-led childcare facilities for the first time. We extended the renters’ tax credit which was due to expire. We have taken real decisions and it is just the first of five budgets

Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the steps her Department is taking to address the ongoing lack of affordable early learning and childcare places, particularly for working families; whether she has assessed the impact of rising childcare costs on parents’ ability to remain in employment, including in areas

Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she has engaged with trade unions, representative organisations and childcare providers in the development of her Department’s action plan to reduce childcare costs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [73392/25

Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the measures being taken to identify childcare services in Cork city and county that are experiencing difficulties with core funding; the difficulties and issues identified by the Department on childcare service providers not continuing with core funding

Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the position regarding developments towards reaching the commitment to reduce childcare costs to €200 per child, per month, in the context of a number of childcare providers pulling out of the core funding scheme

Deputy Charles Ward asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will urgently examine the situation facing community childcare in County Donegal, many community-based early-years services are severely affected by defective concrete; the specific supports available or that will be made available … early-years and childcare facilities whose buildings have been structurally compromised; and if he will ensure that such services are explicitly considered within forthcoming policy or legislative measures aimed at addressing affected community facilities, given the critical role they play in communities. [71626/25

Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality her Departments plans to expand and strengthen childcare provision in east Galway, including measures to increase capacity, support new providers, and address shortages of affordable early learning and care places for families across the region

Donnelly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if consideration has been given for capital funding for community based not-for-profit childcare facilities. [72882/25

Deputy Edward Timmins asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the plans to review the funding models for childcare including anomalies in core funding; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [73196/25

Equality if her Department has incurred any costs in the research, development or marketing of her Department’s action plan to reduce childcare costs. [73393/25

Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the measures she is taking to reduce childcare costs in Kerry. [72875/25

Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her Department has carried out analysis of the profitability of small childcare providers in the context of historical core funding fee freezes; if she plans to review same; and if she will make a statement

Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will outline the upcoming changes to the national childcare scheme for families; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [72946/25

Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the steps her Department is taking to ensure that childcare providers across the country have access to sustainable funding. [72978/25

Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the measures being taken to protect and assist parents whose childcare providers are leaving core funding; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [73066/25

Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the way in which she will urgently build childcare capacity; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [71913/25

Children, Disability and Equality the timeframe in which she intends to bring forward a plan to achieve a reduction in the cost of childcare to €10 per day. [72967/25

Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality her plans to deal with childcare facilities that have been affected by defective concrete blocks; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [73271/25

Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to provide an update on the measures being taken by her Department to increase the provision of childcare places in east Cork; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [73195/25

Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the commitments she has made to provide community childcare in multi-purpose community hubs and centres; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [73015/25

Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the total expenditure in 2025 in assisting the upgrading or provision of new childcare accommodation, both for community providers and private providers; the level of funding to be provided for such developments in 2026; and if she will

Children, Disability and Equality if her Department has conducted or commissioned any recent analysis of the financial sustainability of small and medium-sized childcare providers under the current core funding model; and if she will publish the findings of such analysis; and if she will make a statement

Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality when the action plan on childcare will be published; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [71910/25

Disability and Equality for an update on the implementation of a programme of acquisition and fit-out of State-led early learning and childcare services, as proposed in the programme for Government and budget 2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [72982/25

Equality if she will provide an update on the programme for Government commitment to provide capital investment to build or purchase State-owned childcare facilities, to create additional capacity in areas where unmet need exists; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [72947/25

Deputy Peter Roche asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance whether his Department has assessed the cumulative impact of rising energy, childcare and housing costs on households that do not qualify for means-tested supports; whether targeted tax credit adjustments are under consideration in future budget preparations