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sector will receive about €1.5 billion this year, but demand will grow. We also have to keep an eye on the quality of childcare that is provided as much as on capacity. That is why investment in the workforce is important. A total of €45 million has been … another wage order on top of the €45 million that was provided for last year. We are making incremental progress on pay for childcare workers. An online consultation on the early years action plan is under way, alongside local and national consultation events, ensuring that reform is shaped

longer the case. There are tens of thousands of workers living in poverty because of the cost of living, including the cost of childcare, housing, electricity and insurance for cars and so on. He cites statistics to show the economy is doing well but we all know … wage, benchmarking social welfare increases to the minimum standard of living index and introducing a weekly cost-of-disability payment. A reduction in childcare costs to €200 per month, as promised in the election but since studiously forgotten, would make such a change in so many workers' lives

that the State invests directly in trying to acquire public space to provide capacity. We rightly have debates in this House about reducing childcare fees. We have a clear view on where we want to get to over the lifetime of the Government. Alongside that, we are going … matters and link with the Deputy. We will see increases in simplification this year. One of the big bugbears we are hearing from childcare providers is the amount of bureaucracy. We need to cut that back. In September, we will also see reductions in childcare fees

option but to go back to work to cover the costs of rent or mortgages or the cost of living. They then need childcare. Baby rooms in childcare services should be the solution but, since the introduction of core funding, the number of baby rooms across the State … county of Fingal. Parents are in a catch-22 situation. They have no option other than to go back to work but the childcare is not there. We need a joined-up review of early years policy and family supports to relieve pressure on parents. We need that

responsiveness and accountability where necessary. In terms of the Bill, a crucial element, and one I inserted, is section 10, which establishes the childcare implementation and inter-agency committee. This will put on a statutory basis, with very clear responsibilities, the committee I brought together on an administrative … child welfare system in this country, from the children's ombudsman, from the last special rapporteur on child protection, from the childcare law reporting committee, all of those focused on situations where State agencies disagreed or stuck very rigidly to their own remits and children were left exposed

State. I raise the issue of other vulnerable children in my county and elsewhere who also depend on support from the State through childcare. I have raised this numerous times and it would be wrong for me not to raise it again when we are talking about legislation … support and protect vulnerable children. Vulnerable children are asked to go into childcare settings in my county with defective blocks. In some cases, they have been ordered to stop attending the facilities because it is dangerous to the children, yet there is still nothing from the Minister

already in possession of two separate vetting certificates and was told she could not open her crèche. It is another example of childcare policy that is simply not working as it is needed. This is at a time when people struggle to access a crèche and if they … left to struggle to pay among the highest childcare costs in Europe. The Tánaiste promised, before the election, an action plan on capping childcare costs at €10 per day within 100 days of Government. Last Friday was 365 days but no plan is yet in sight. It does

area of legislation that has not been updated for some time and that requires updating. The care of children or specific childcare measures are hugely important. I am sorry to say that we are all aware of many instances where the State has failed to deliver in that … principal Act. In this case, the principal Act is the 1991 Act. I understand that the latter is the basis of childcare in Ireland today. However, having a Bill that is a mass of statements such as "section 5 of the principal Act is amended in the following

want to raise the issue of childcare. Yesterday, we heard that 40,000 children are on waiting lists and that over 1,000 childcare facilities have closed over the past six years. I am raising, in particular, the issue of the numerous parents in my own constituency … have contacted me because they are terrified that their crèche, UniKids Childcare, in the National Technology Park, Castletroy, will likely have to close due to core funding issues. The launch of the Government plan to provide State-led early learning, while welcome, will do nothing to ease their

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

allowed maximum. As announced in the context of budget 2026, €36 million will be available next year for early learning and childcare capital programmes. This will include acquisitions of new buildings through the State-led early learning and childcare programme, investment in expansion of existing early learning … childcare operators through the building blocks scheme and a number of quality initiatives, including supports for childminders. The Department is currently examining options for future building blocks schemes and the Minister expects to announce details of that in early 2026. The family resource centre programme is a community

sector right now is capacity. We have serious issues in terms of capacity, whether it is capacity in baby rooms or capacity in childcare places at every level right across the State. As far as I am concerned, when we need 40,000 to 50,000 childcare places … would be cheaper and more environmentally friendly to use what we have. There are areas in communities that have high demand for childcare and extensions to schools and community centres will not cut it for them

thank the Deputy. In terms of capital expenditure, for the early learning and childcare sector that will comprise €36 million in 2026, thereby allowing the Government to accelerate its work to ensure the supply of early learning and childcare meets demand. The year 2026 will … very close to the hearts of most people here, including Deputy Kerrane. For the first time, a public model of early learning and childcare will be provided for. Alongside this, I will open a further building blocks scheme in 2026 to allow for extensions to existing premises

Government is committed to ensuring access to affordable, quality early learning and care and school-age childcare, with an investment of €1.48 billion in the 2026 budget. This funding will allow the Department to build on recent progress in the gradual reduction of fees for parents while also … educators from 13 October. There will also be enhancements in year 5 of core funding to improve pay for educators and school-age childcare practitioners with implementation of new employment regulation orders. Further steps will be detailed in the action plan on accessible, high-quality, affordable early learning

about the investment. I acknowledge the huge investment and commitment to making this happen. I also appreciate her acknowledgement that the pressures on childcare providers are not the same throughout the country. In a constituency like Dún Laoghaire where the cost of living and the cost of accommodation … much higher, would the Minister consider, as part of the incentives being put in place to ensure childcare providers remain within the schemes, that the incentives might be varied from one area to another? That would be in recognition of the fact that the challenges are greater

want to raise the issue of childcare and the Government's long-terms goals but I will focus maybe on the short-term goals. Our main goal coming into government was to reduce the cost of childcare to €200 per month and to increase accessibility through investment … locations, which required it. In north Kildare, families in Maynooth, Kilcock, Leixlip, Celbridge and Naas are struggling to get childcare. We want to give people the best opportunity to get back into the workforce as they request and require. A key issue is affordability. We need to increase

accept that the Minister and the Department are working on the action plan for childcare. I am trying to ensure that the big thinking that is required to deliver childcare at the scale that we need is reflected in the NDP and will be ready to be activated … deliver the spaces that we desperately need. We need systemic change and a new model of childcare. I am looking for reassurance that there will be funding behind it to deliver those plans based on the ambitions that we have and that parents and families need at this

decided to stop talking about it. Prices are still sky-high, grocery bills are through the roof, rents are out of control and childcare can cost more than a mortgage. What do the budget and this Finance Bill do to help? Nothing. A recent Barnardos report found that … those who voted for the Minister on the back of promises this Government made during the general election. It promised it would cap childcare fees at €200 a month. Families are still paying €1,000 or more a month, and this Bill does nothing to change that

Last week, the Happily Ever After childcare service in Tuam, County Galway, informed parents that it will be forced to close its doors at the end of this month. The building does not meet fire safety requirements. The landlord has reneged on previous commitments to carry … children the service cares for in a very difficult position. Their livelihoods are at risk. There is a lack of childcare spaces in Tuam, and the reality for many of these parents is that they will now be forced to leave their jobs to care for their children

programme for Government and we are working through them already. In this budget, we actually delivered funding to significantly increase the number of childcare places. That is really important. I regret Sinn Féin did not do that in its alternative budget. Reducing the cost of childcare … having childcare places is not much use to anybody. This budget is being completely misrepresented by Sinn Féin. It should look at what the CEO of Inclusion Ireland said yesterday morning when she welcomed the significant uplift in funding. There is over €680 million extra for disability services

self-congratulatory backslapping here yesterday and it is completely detached from the reality of people's lives. Broken promise number three is childcare. Before and during the general election, Simon Harris promised he would make childcare affordable. He pledged that Fine Gael would deliver a pathway … month childcare within 100 days of Government

somewhere because it is nowhere to be seen. This broken commitment means parents continuing to fork out a small fortune in childcare fees. That childcare promise was just another one of the Government's trademark soundbites. Is it not embarrassed by the way it has tried to hoodwink … parents? It should, of course, have introduced our plan, which would actually deliver €10 a day childcare. It was possible. The Government could have done it but chose not to. Broken promise number four is student fees. Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil put up in lights

have the educators, then we can forget about reducing costs for parents and building capacity. We will have no childcare sector. The idea of throwing this to the JLC once again to see what some of the big providers in the State will agree to in terms … ring-fenced is really disappointing and will lead to more educators leaving, more rooms being closed and more people on waiting lists for childcare. Based on what was announced yesterday, the situation is going to go from bad to worse. There are commitments in the programme for Government

billion. We could save money for the economy by stopping it. There is not one single line about or commitment to public childcare, which is the solution to the problem of people paying two mortgages for years, one for a house and one for childcare. The previous Government … with the Green Party went some way to reducing the cost, and I always praised it for that, but the answer is public childcare. Otherwise, people cannot work. They need to do that and not have to pay a second mortgage. Regarding the Irish language, there

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

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

Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to provide an update on the eight locations for State-led childcare facilities. [66144/26

Deputy Keira Keogh asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the measures she is considering in budget 2027 to expand childcare capacity, particularly in rural areas experiencing significant shortages of places; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [65983/26

Deputy Keira Keogh asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her Department has assessed the impact that the lack of affordable childcare could have on labour market participation, particularly among women; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [65982/26

Deputy James Geoghegan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she is exploring mechanisms to ease the administrative burden on childcare providers who are in core funding. [65704/26

Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality her plans to increase the availability of afterschool childcare spaces. [65745/26

Deputy Peter Roche asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the steps being taken to deliver a reduction in childcare costs towards the Programme for Government's target of €200 per month per child. [65694/26

acknowledges that afterschool care does not start in the main until 1 September which can mean that there can be childcare issues in those first days between school starting and afterschool starting. [64416/26

impact of changes to citizenship requirements on spouses and parents unable to demonstrate financial independence due to caring responsibilities or lack of affordable childcare; if the impact on migrant women who interrupted their careers to raise children has been assessed; if transitional arrangements will be provided for families

Deputy Daniel Ennis asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the sanctions that have been imposed on childcare providers found to be in breach of core funding fee-freeze rules. [64365/26

Deputy Daniel Ennis asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of childcare providers that have been subject to fee reviews under Core Funding in each year since the introduction of the national fee review team; the number of breaches identified; and the nature of those

Deputy Daniel Ennis asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether any childcare providers have been required to refund parents following findings that they overcharged families in breach of core funding rules; and if so, the total value of refunds issued. [64366/26

Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the supports that will be available to parents if their childcare facility withdraws from core funding and prices go up as a result; and the steps she will take to address this issue. [64590/26

Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the mechanisms in place to engage with childcare providers that indicate they plan to withdraw from the core funding scheme. [64942/26

confirm in a yes or no answer whether profit margin is assessed as a criterion in the award of private residential childcare contracts. [64980/26

Children, Disability and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 3022 of 7 September 2026, if she will require private providers of residential childcare to submit segmented or open-book accounts for State-funded placements as a condition of any future tender, so that the profit earned on public

Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she is aware of continued frustration among childcare providers regarding the use of the HIVE system (details supplied) and the impact this administrative burden has on busy providers; and if she will commit to reduce such

Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the supports available to assist a child (details supplied) in accessing appropriate early learning, childcare and early intervention services; and whether transport supports will be made available where a suitable placement is not available locally. [65164/26

Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to provide a progress report on the provision of childcare facilities at the former convent in Listowel, County Kerry, and timeframe for final decisions on applications; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [65770/26

Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will examine opening a childcare facility in a vacant school in north Kerry (details supplied). [65892/26

Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the steps being taken by her Department to address the ongoing issues experienced by early learning and childcare providers across the country in using the HIVE system, particularly the significant difficulties and administrative problems reported by providers throughout the summer; whether

Finance the additional tax reliefs or incentives for working families under consideration as part of Budget 2027, including changes to existing tax credits, childcare-related tax measures or other family-focused reliefs designed to reduce the cost-of-living for middle-income households; and if he will make

measures being considered for inclusion in Budget 2027 to support middle-income families, including changes to income tax bands, tax credits, childcare supports and housing-related tax reliefs; the principles that will guide the Government's decisions in this regard; and if he will make a statement

Heneghan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance whether his Department has examined the introduction of additional tax reliefs for families facing significant childcare costs; whether international models have been reviewed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58531/26

representative service for unaccompanied children seeking international protection under the EU Migration and Asylum Pact; the weighting assigned to experience in child protection, childcare services and international protection processes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54314/26