Search the record

Lady of Lourdes Community Centre. That same centre is now facing the daunting task of telling local families there are no early childcare places for their children. We are not just talking about a few families but, rather, 214 children on a waiting list who are unable … access early childcare places in Our Lady of Lourdes early years service. While staff are busy preparing for September, there are no playschool places available at all. The stark reality facing many families is that the majority of local children will not have access to integrated early years

sorely lacking. Let us look at this Government's budget promises and the promises it made at election time. For example, affordable childcare was to be cut to €200 per month. Instead, we have seen absolutely minimal progress on that. There were promises that third level fees will … last budget we saw the incomes of disabled people actually slashed by up to €1,400 because of decisions that this Government made. Childcare in Ireland is exorbitantly expensive and very difficult to access. This is making the cost-of-living crisis even more difficult for families

break and a chance to get ahead and not just get by, tax is a part of it. Other costs, like childcare, are part of it. Also, how can we structurally try to reduce energy costs? The budget will need to look at all of this … round. Tax is a part of it, but so too is whether we can make permanent structural cost reductions in key areas like childcare

been spent on Blanchardstown. He might just keep me in mind for the courthouse in Portlaoise. The programme for Government commits to reducing childcare costs by €200 per month per child. I understand work is planned in phase 2 of the affordability measures. Will the Taoiseach confirm these … measures will include the long-term goal of delivering that €200 monthly cost reduction? I acknowledge the €135 million allocated for State-led childcare, the acquisition of buildings this year and the Building Blocks exchange scheme. However, capacity and affordability remains a crisis in my constituency of Laois

level of State investment in early learning by about 12%. We cannot do everything in one budget. This is a five-budget Government. Childcare is a key issue; it is in the programme for Government. All three parties in the Government are committed to it. Decisions were taken … budget in October to see how much further we can progress the commitment in the programme for Government to reduce the costs of childcare to people in line with the objective of the programme for Government

fides on this topic. I started by acknowledging the work that has been done. I believe the commitment to reduce the cost of childcare was a serious and sincere one. Insofar as I have had any dealings with the people who fund the programme for Government, I believe … facilitated in continuing. We do not need to show this facility the merits of the scheme. We need to meet the problems this childcare centre has and address the legitimate, identifiable and verifiable concerns raised about the cost of doing business

going to repeat the point about engagement with the city and county childcare committees to show facilities the merits of being in the scheme, but obviously the people the Deputy is talking about are, first of all, educators. This is 100% why they are in this area. They … very valid question to ask. I totally agree with the Deputy that we need to plough on and continue this momentum in reducing childcare fees. It is a commitment we gave and we need to continue with this work. I thank the Deputy again for raising this issue

gambling and the potential risks posed to minors. Deputy Michael Cahill - To discuss the rising costs of living across housing, energy, insurance, childcare and essential services and long-term affordability for households in Ireland. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil - To discuss social infrastructure provision in Kildare North. Deputy Robert … Deputy Séamus McGrath - To discuss the recruitment process for the Defence Forces. Deputy Barry Ward - To discuss support mechanisms for families when their childcare centre withdraws from the core funding model. Deputy Colm Burke - To discuss the establishment of a national radiation therapy equipment replacement programme. Deputy

believe in childcare for the development of the child primarily. Anything we do in the area of childcare or early education should be about the child as the primary issue, actually. I know a lot about Montessori and I know all about early education because I was involved

suspect quite a few people voted for Fine Gael in the most recent election because it promised that it would reduce childcare costs for everybody to €200 per month. It has spectacularly failed to deliver on that promise, which is a very serious cost-of-living issue … very clear that those places are not going to be €200 either, despite the Government's promise. When is it going to deliver childcare costs of €200 per month for everybody? At the moment, it is failing a lot of parents very seriously

have over the last number of years, in particular in previous Governments, invested hundreds of millions of euro in childcare and making sure we can provide early childhood care and education, ECCE, spaces for children to which every child has access. About 96% or 97% of children … available to parents. Beyond that, we have set out a very clear commitment in the programme for Government not just to make childcare affordable but to make sure that, with a growing population, there is access to places as well. That has become a much more significant challenge

paltry rent controls that were in place and is allowing the big landlords to increase rents even further. It promised to cap childcare fees at €200 a month and has taken no action on that. The Government refuses to implement our proposal for public affordable childcare. We have

Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she has identified sites for the Government’s pilot for public childcare facilities, and if she has considered Kildare South, given the urgent lack of childcare places available. [28589/26

Minister identified sites for the Government's pilot for public childcare facilities? Has she considered Kildare South given the urgent need and lack of childcare facilities in that part of the county

will be aware that we recently announced €135 million in capital investment in buildings for high-quality accessible State-led early learning and childcare. The process begins this year, as he said, with investment in buildings in what will be a groundbreaking initiative for the Government. Capital funding … whatever might be more appropriate to the application that has been received. Some projects have been proposed by an existing early learning and childcare service provider while others relate to a building or property only and a separate process to identify an operator will be required. Included

three is for this area. I have raised with the Minister previously the issue whereby upwards of 100 children are without a childcare service in that town. This is replicated throughout Kildare South where the population has increased. We have a very young population. Parents get up very … early in the morning to travel 30 km or 40 km to avail of childcare services in other towns. Some of them travel into Dublin to avail of services. This cannot continue. This is a great opportunity for the Government to look at areas such as Kildare

phase of the building scheme. It is a €10 million capital funding scheme to deliver a significant number of additional early learning and childcare places. The scheme is being funded under the updated national development plan. The purpose of the building blocks scheme is to deliver additional capacity … sector by supporting existing early learning and childcare services to undertake physical extensions to existing premises. The scheme will be open to community and private services that are signed up to the core funding scheme and commit to continuing in the scheme and adhering to its conditions, particularly

thank the Minister. That is positive information and it is a positive scheme. I have had many inquiries over the last while from childcare providers in my area, both private and community-run, as to when it would be announced. It is important that it is for private … workforce if they wish to do so. This is a good scheme for achieving that. The scheme for State-led provision of childcare the Minister is working on will be hugely positive and beneficial

that the Department and the city and county childcare committees engage with providers, both community and private. I know a lot of places have identified to me a need for extensions, but some have not yet done so. It would be helpful if they were made fully aware … there was a good advertising campaign and engagement through the childcare committees to make them aware that this funding is available. I understand it is not matching funding for community facilities. It could be hugely impactful in our communities

Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the progress to reduce the cost of childcare to €200 per month per child through the national childcare scheme, as set out in the programme for Government; and if she will make a statement on the matter

with children going to school. We also have the free hot school meals, a very recent innovation, which also helps families. The national childcare scheme is a universal subsidy that helps to reduce the cost of childcare. In terms of the fuel allowance, we have extended that

their electricity bills. Families were pushed to the pin of the collar because of increases in grocery prices, rents and insurance and childcare costs that were like a second mortgage. A generation felt home ownership was outside of the reach because of Government policies. The fuel crisis, brought … tell me she had no home heating oil for two weeks because she could not afford it on top of medical and childcare expenses. She wrote to me on the day the Government announced its latest package of half measures. She said for the first time

assessing sites and buildings and, where required, will seek expressions of interest from operators to deliver these services. Local city and county childcare committees will be supporting the development of projects, so in the first instance, community early learning and childcare operators, local authorities, developers and others

need for additional childcare places is replicated in small areas. I am working with groups in small parishes and villages such as the Denn Toddlers Playgroup in Crosskeys, County Cavan, and Happy Days Childcare in Belturbet, County Cavan. Crosskeys is a small village and Belturbet is a small

delivery is at the centre of everything we do in every area of social and economic infrastructure. That will yield improved delivery in childcare and in wider areas across the economy. I will work with the Minister, Deputy Foley, to ensure her sectoral investment plan in the Department … quickly. I know she has worked extensively to ensure the €795 million allocated across the next five years yields that improved delivery of childcare across communities and across the country

Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of childcare services that have left NCS core funding and remain outside of it, by county, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46715/26

Deputy Tom Brabazon asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her Department is aware of concerns of childcare providers and parents over the core funding system and the fee structure of the scheme; and the actions her Department is taking to address these concerns. [46057/26

Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if consideration is given to appropriate childcare infrastructure when new residential developments are being built; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45950/26

Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her attention has been drawn to continual room closures at a childcare facility in Dublin south-west (details supplied) since it was acquired by a new provider; the steps she is taking to address issues around

Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality her plans to address the shortage of childcare places in Harold's Cross and surrounding areas. [44900/26

Dempsey asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will impose restrictions under core funding on the maximum deposit amount a childcare provider can charge; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44939/26

Deputy Aisling Dempsey asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will amend the core funding rule to only allow childcare providers without waiting lists retain the deposits of families who choose not to take the place provided for their children; and if she will make

Children, Disability and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 1087 of 26 May 2026, her views on the upcoming evaluation of the national childcare scheme; specifically; the scope of review due to be taken in respect of the matters raised; and the level of public consultation that will

Deputy Eoin Hayes asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the estimated first year and full-year cost of increasing the affordable childcare subsidy for children under three years of age by €1 per hour; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45046/26

Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the actions are being taken to address difficulties in securing childcare places under the NCS sponsorship scheme; if funding levels have been reviewed; whether incentives for providers to accept sponsored children are being considered

Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to urgently provide childcare facilities for children with special needs in County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45579/26

Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to provide a breakdown, by individual early learning and care and school-age childcare services, of the total core funding payments made under the scheme in year three and year four, showing the amount received by each service

Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality her plans to extend the national childcare scheme for childminding in the childminder's home and childminding in the family home; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45826/26

Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of childminders who have completed the pre-registration course through the county and city childcare committees to date in 2026, by month, in tabular form. [45827/26

Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether funding under the early learning and care and school-age childcare schemes will continue to be paid to early education and care services that are required to close temporarily due to a water outage, where

Equality whether Tusla has established a quantified target to reduce the proportion of children in State-funded care placed with private residential childcare providers; the baseline percentage against which progress is being measured; the target percentage to be achieved; the target year for achievement; and if she will

Tusla has produced a business case, implementation plan, capacity model, workforce plan or other strategic document setting out how dependency on private residential childcare placements will be reduced; whether such documents contain annual milestones for the period 2026 to 2030; and if she will make a statement

Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether reliance on private residential childcare placements has been assessed as a strategic, financial, operational or governance risk by Tusla since 2020; whether this issue has been considered for inclusion on Tusla’s National Corporate Risk

Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to address the shortage of afterschool childcare places in north Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45956/26

Minister for Education and Youth whether her Department assesses the impact of large scale residential developments on future demand for school places and childcare provision; the projected requirement for additional primary and post primary school places in the Donaghmede, Clongriffin and Belmayne areas over the next ten years

Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of childcare providers, by those in and outside of core funding for each of the years 2022 to 2025 and to date in 2026, in tabular form. [44833/26

Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of childcare providers, by those in and outside of core funding, by their service category such as ECCE-only, sessional, part-time and full-time, for each of the years

Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the total number of childcare providers, by those in and outside of core funding for each of the years 2022 to 2025 and to date in 2026, by local authority area, in tabular form. [44835/26

Migration on the way in which child safeguarding can be strengthened given the details of a case (details supplied) brought forward by a childcare provider; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44388/26

Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the maximum childcare fee caps recently announced by her Department for parents with one child in full time five-day care, current monthly fee €1350 less NCS €385.20 applicable to parents from next September whose children attend