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package. It is really important that work pays and as the Tánaiste know, our working families are really the backbone of the economy. Childcare is not only essential for equality, it is also essential for our economy. Childcare is actually essential infrastructure and I very much welcome … investment in childcare not only in affordability but also accessibility. Fingal is one of the youngest areas in the country and Balbriggan is the youngest large town. It is essential that we are investing in childcare and investing in community childcare, which is something that my area really

very much welcome the Tánaiste's comments about childcare. It is not just affecting parents. We have nearly full employment but instead of being able to participate on a part-time or even full-time basis in our economy, many grandparents are actually providing childcare because there … absolutely no choice in areas like mine in Skerries and Balbriggan, where there really is no accessible childcare. I know that the Tánaiste is working closely with the Minister for children but it is really important that we see the second stage of the action plan launched this

that exist in County Kildare, particularly around towns such as Kilcullen and Newbridge, where parents come to me and say they cannot find childcare. The question I have as a result of the Minister's reply is whether parents can contact the childcare committees. It seems … that unless a provider contacts the childcare committees we will not get the facilities we need in Kildare. It is parents who are contacting me and it is parents who are facing these problems. I have previously given examples in the House of people who have made

Government to tackle that. There are other things the Government could be doing to tackle the cost of living, particularly its promise around childcare. Where are the reduced childcare fees? Where is the real delivery of affordable childcare? We in the Social Democrats have put forward a public … childcare model that would actually deliver affordable childcare. Simon Harris has now been in government for 12 or 14 years. Where is his promise to reduce the cost of GP care for children? Someone with a child who is eight now has to pay the full cost

thank the Deputy. I announced €135 million in capital investment in buildings for high-quality, accessible State-led early learning and childcare up to 2030. This is a ground-breaking initiative for Government and it began this year. Capital funding will be used to acquire … tools have been developed to assess projects’ alignment with the programme objectives, including a forward planning model to analyse early learning and childcare supply and demand. The Department has received project proposals from a number of sources since the programme was launched. These projects are in different stages

children and equality committee, her leadership in that respect and her personal commitment to the issues in relation to early years in childcare. The view shared by the committee that the Deputy chairs excellently, and across Government, is that we should improve access to quality and affordable early … learning and childcare opportunities. Early learning and childcare capacity is increasing. Data from the annual early years sector profile for 2024-25 shows that the estimated number of enrolments increased by approximately 25% from the 2021-22 programme year. A 25% increase in those three years is significant

investment by the State in this sector. I think €1.7 billion speaks to the determination of the State to support early learning and childcare provision. That is in terms of supporting providers, the workforce and parents. We are moving into budget 2027 where there are negotiations, which … review is now open to providers to engage. In terms of the specific issues he raised, there are differences between early learning and childcare provision and school age childcare provision. Notwithstanding that, the State is committed to continue investing in the early learning and childcare sector

will know, families in Ireland, especially in rural communities, are continuing to face significant challenges, not only in affordability but also in accessing childcare. I know that she is concerned about it, as am I, and I know we have many programme for Government commitments, including the creation … additional childcare places, initiating State-led childcare, especially in areas of unmet need, and getting to that €200 per month. With budget 2027 approaching, will the Minister outline what measures she intends to consider in supporting childcare provision in rural Ireland

which everything seems to be going up. It is not just homelessness, house prices and rents but also the cost of petrol, childcare, home heating oil and electricity. It is absolutely everything. There is not a household in this country that are not looking at their bills, trying … well. People are tackling issues all the time. Families are trying to deal with rents like they have never seen before and childcare costs that are absolutely crippling them. The Minister of State needs to act on this. He needs to deal with the issue of home heating

broken record about Boyle in County Roscommon. The feasibility study about the need in Boyle in north Roscommon is that there are 20 childcare places per 1,043 households. I have lost count of how many times I have put that on the Dáil record, but the Minister … will be aware, or her Department will be aware, of a former childcare building that was available in the town and was made known to the county childcare committee and her Department, the forward planning unit of which is leading on this. I want to make that case

clear, proposals to the city or county childcare committees are not all from providers. They can be from anyone. Deputy Wall will appreciate that there has to be some form of a process and the first line of the process has been identified to be the local … ground mechanism of the county and childcare committees. It is free to anybody to make a proposal. In the first instance, this year we are looking at provision of buildings and primarily where a building might be available. I am aware that community groups have stepped forward

deserts and works with the parents, who are ordinary decent families working each day but finding it more and more difficult to get childcare places and do not have the time, energy or perhaps know-how to identify places. This is where I believe the Department … childcare committees come in. I ask that when the Minister receives the proposals from me later today she actively looks at them and at providing childcare places in County Kildare where they are needed

better going forward. I again reiterate that we hope in the coming weeks to make the announcement around eight proposals for State-led childcare this year. Including for rural Ireland, opportunities remain open for any group, individual or organisation that wants to reach out to the city … county childcare committees with proposals whether a proposed building, a site, a building that requires purchase or even a building that simply requires fit out. The Department is very flexible in offering any kind of support we can to enhance the availability of the provision of early years

available; notes that: — households, workers, students, pensioners and families continue to face significant cost of living pressures, with rising costs across housing, energy, childcare and everyday essentials; — the Government has chosen to increase the cost of public transport for those who rely on it, and at a time … across the State are being hit by surging costs from every side. From the soaring cost of energy to higher grocery bills and childcare, households have no reprieve. They are living from week to week and they need a break. However, instead of making life easier, the Government

their wages grow or careers progress or they get promotions or work overtime. I know the Deputy feels very passionate about childcare because we have also discussed it. We have to continue to really invest in childcare. I know the Minister for children will bring forward measures there

heating oil and gas. There will obviously be a personal income tax package. The Government is clear about that. The Deputy is right. Childcare is a social issue and an equality issue but it is also an economic issue. I am meeting lots of people across the country … making career decisions not on the basis of their choice but on the basis of the lack of affordability or accessibility of a childcare place. Next week in the budget, we are determined as a Government to take a big step in that direction and to build

Unit 1, Sarsfield Court and the vacant units on the site. Deputy Gary Gannon - To discuss the development of intergenerational community hubs alongside childcare and services for older people as part of the expansion of public childcare infrastructure. The matters raised by Deputies Paul Lawless, Barry Ward, Darren

want to raise the concern among providers about the fee arrangements under the core funding programme and the disparity between long-established childcare providers and numerous service providers entering the scheme. I welcome what the Minister has outlined - the continuous improvement in funding from €259 million when … while new service providers are able to establish their fees based on current operating conditions, subject to applicable fee caps, which puts established childcare providers at a disadvantage

suggest, as I have already outlined, that the first line of contact is the local city and county childcare committees. That is the process. I would be surprised at this point if Deputy Wall has not engaged with them because I know he is very active … proposal, suggestion, idea or vision can be discussed on the ground with the local facility, which is the local city and county childcare committee. I suggest that if Deputy Wall has a number of proposals he engages with them first and if they are viable they will come

welcome the increase in enrolments. I am really thinking about my own county of Mayo. Even when we have increases in the national childcare scheme, and I hear about these great subsidies, I know many parents in my county are not able to access them. The last data … want to see addressed is the potential crisis with private childminders if they do not start registering soon. In relation to State-led childcare, in my own area, because we are focusing more on the voluntary boards of management and the community-led element, we do not have

State-led childcare will be a game-changer but we cannot just rely on the community and voluntary boards. In cities like Dublin and Cork, the boards may have accountants, HR professionals or solicitors guiding them. In rural Ireland, the same people who are on their GAA board … also often on the board of the community childcare facility, so we need to look at that. I also really welcome that a review is ongoing in relation to how we can better support private childminders to get registered. We need to reach out and allow people, even

Deputy Edward Timmins asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality in the targeted plans to reduce childcare costs for parents, whether there are plans in place to review the Core funding programme to ensure that funding reflects the increasing costs faced by childcare providers and if consideration

Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to give an update on the sites to be selected for the rollout of the State-led childcare pilot; and if she has considered the inclusion of County Kildare given it has one of the lowest levels of community childcare provision. [65891/26

court-appointed experts and strengthening statutory oversight of Tusla. I mentioned that the current in-camera rule forces child custody access and childcare proceedings to happen behind closed doors. It creates a culture of silence that disempowers vulnerable parents and also masks the systemic under-resourcing, groupthink

resource centres in Portlaoise and Mountmellick are doing excellent work that is making a real difference in local communities with services such as childcare, counselling, health and well-being programmes, adult learning, social inclusion and much more. They are right where it matters

Equality whether consideration will be given to providing flexibility or an exemption to parents with fixed shared-care arrangements under the National Childcare Scheme, so that children alternating between households can attend different childcare providers and retain their childcare place during periods of non-attendance, to ensure that … eligible families can effectively avail of their National Childcare Scheme. [69185/26

Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the assessment undertaken of childcare capacity in Galway East; the measures being taken to create additional childcare places in rapidly growing communities; and if consideration is being given to targeted supports for childcare providers operating in rural

Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to provide the latest update on the Programme for Government commitment to progressively reduce the cost of childcare to €200 per month per child through the national childcare scheme; and the way in which she intends to address the issue of afterschool … childcare places. [65804/26

Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if the national childcare scheme attendance and under attendance provisions are currently under review; whether greater flexibility is being considered for working families whose childcare needs remain unchanged but whose children may occasionally attend fewer hours

Deputy Charles Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether a formal protocol exists between her Department, Pobal and County Childcare Committees regarding the management of childcare services affected by defective concrete; and if so, to provide details of that protocol. [67388/26

Deputy Charles Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether childcare facilities affected by defective concrete are being prioritised under the State-led childcare infrastructure programme; and if not, if consideration will be given to establishing such a priority mechanism. [67389/26

Deputy Charles Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality measures in place to ensure that childcare places are not lost where a childcare facility affected by defective concrete becomes unsafe or unsuitable for occupation. [67392/26

Deputy Edward Timmins asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality in the targeted plans to reduce childcare costs for parents, whether there are plans in place to review the Core funding programme to ensure that funding reflects the increasing costs faced by childcare providers and if consideration

Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to give an update on the sites to be selected for the rollout of the State-led childcare pilot; and if she has considered the inclusion of County Kildare given it has one of the lowest levels of community childcare provision. [65891/26

Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the progress that has been made towards the Programme for Government's commitments to further reduce childcare costs for families; the measures implemented to date to improve affordability; the planned measures to improve affordability and availability of childcare for families. [65916/26

Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether she will consider reforming the administration of the national childcare scheme to ensure that parents are not financially penalised for collecting their children early where they are paying the childcare provider for the full period booked

Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the criteria applied in prioritising projects for the current phase of the State-led Early Learning and Childcare Capital Programme; the number and locations of the projects prioritised to date; whether the planning status and estimated fit-out period of the premises … proposed for a facility of up to 150 places in Glanmire, Cork, submitted by Cork City Childcare Committee, were assessed in reaching the decision not to prioritise that proposal; when the next phase of project selection will take place; and when decisions are expected to be confirmed. [65862/26

Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she is aware of childcare providers operating from publicly funded school premises that do not participate in the national childcare scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [64512/26

Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the childcare affordability measures currently under consideration by her Department in advance of Budget 2027; whether changes to national childcare scheme subsidy rates are being examined. [65655/26

associated creche space in a residential development (details supplied) in the context of the Programme for Government commitment to review the 2001 childcare facilities guidelines for planning authorities to ensure childcare spaces are provided and put to use. [65800/26

Gillian Toole asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the current status of the Programme for Government commitment to bring home-based childcare within a regulated and grant-accessible framework. [68073/26

Troy asked the Minister for Health if she will outline when the HSE will be providing a nursing practice programme for currently registered childcare nurses who have a gap in service and require this course to return to HSE employment; and her views on the urgency to provide

Deputy Ged Nash asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance the number of individual tax units that have benefitted from the childcare services relief scheme in each year since its introduction; and the annual cost for each of these years. [67904/26

Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when he expects the new planning regulations in relation to childcare planning to be published that will update the 2001 planning guidelines under section 28 of the Planning and Development Act, 2000. [67505/26

Deputy Charles Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the funding streams currently available to childcare providers affected by defective concrete, including sustainability funding and capital supports; and the number of providers that have accessed such funding to date. [67395/26

Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality when she expects the new planning regulations in relation to childcare planning to be published, that will update the 2001 planning guidelines under section 28 of the Planning and Development Act, 2000. [67503/26

creating a system that would allow for parents to be paid the NCS subsidy directly in cases whereby their choice of preschool or childcare centre is not signed up to this scheme and therefore they cannot benefit from it and must pay the full cost of the fees

creating a system that would allow for parents to be paid the ECCE subsidy directly in cases whereby their choice of preschool or childcare centre is not signed up to this scheme and therefore they cannot benefit from it and must pay the full cost of the fees

consultation that took place before the introduction of the revised AIM funding and payment arrangements, including the linking of AIM payments to national childcare scheme approvals; and the stakeholders that were consulted in this process. [66708/26

Minister for Children, Disability and Equality If she will consider the salient points raised in correspondence (details supplied) regarding a Kildare based childcare provider who is considering exiting the service. [67032/26