Search the record

specifics but I am asking to make sure this Department is delivering. Two years is simply not good enough. People who need childcare are putting off their lives and quitting jobs. They are not participating fully in the workforce. We have discussed this before but female participation … workforce has been one of Ireland's biggest economic drivers in the past 40 years. Childcare is an essential economic infrastructure. We have to move with a sense of urgency. Unfortunately, I do not see it coming from this unit. I appreciate internal work takes time. There

have been working on this together over the past while. We meant what we said during the election. Having a childcare system that is fit for purpose, empowers parents, is affordable and accessible, and has quality at its heart is a core priority for this Government … this right over the course of this Government, we can transform childcare in a way that other parts of society and our education system have been transformed in years gone by. The first step is that the Minister will before the end of the year publish an action

that €5 billion. We could be using it to fund social and affordable housing delivery. We could be using it to develop public childcare. We could be using it to develop public transport. Instead, public money is being given to wealthy foreign funds which are the main shareholders … incomes. It ignored our proposals to introduce a weekly cost-of-disability payment, to remove the means test on carers, to cut childcare fees and student fees, to introduce a sports and activity payment for all children, and to introduce a second tier of child benefit. Yesterday

Deputy Lahart is entirely correct. There are 21 commitments on childcare in the programme for Government, which is a sign of how seriously we are all taking this and what we are hearing from our constituencies. There is a need to look at how we move sequentially … from the Minister in the coming weeks that will set out how we get from here to where we want to go on childcare

matter to my attention. I will certainly ensure that contact is immediately made with the Minister for children about the Happily Ever After childcare service. Perhaps there is also a role for the county childcare committee in relation to this. I will ask the Minister, Deputy Foley

vocational training rather than on other forms. Administration is an area covered by Germany's apprenticeships as well as hospitality, as is childcare. The German system is more expansive than the Irish one and apprenticeships are a foundational part of its education system. What could … Germany, which has much broader sectoral range. We need to expand that. There are proposals in Ireland to expand apprenticeships beyond traditional trades. Childcare was mentioned earlier, and green energy is another one. Administration was mentioned in the context of Germany. We should further expand the hospitality sector

less than a year ago on the basis of a fictional housebuilding projection. The figures for housebuilding last year were grossly overstated. On childcare, promises were made that childcare fees would be capped at €200 per month within 100 days. That promise has disappeared. Cuts to student fees

general election campaign, promises and commitments were made and have been reneged on. The Tánaiste promised that a maximum childcare payment of €200 per month would come into force within 100 days of the new Government. That has not been done, it is not in the budget … there has been no mention of it or of a public childcare service. The carer's means test was to be abolished and that too has been reneged on. A commitment to introduce a weekly cost-of-disability payment was also reneged on. The promise no child would

preschool places. That was never going to be delivered in the first budget. In fact, the programme for Government commits to reducing childcare costs progressively. I welcome the increased funding for the childcare sector, which will help increase much-needed places for young children and support for families

this on the hoof. I understand where the Deputy is coming from but, on the other hand, we have developed a model of childcare over two decades which involves either community provision, private sector provision, or some State provision. The State has tended to support access through grants … permanently based. There are three areas: price, in other words, affordability; the volume of places; and career pathways for those working in childcare

start with early education, which was the big election promise. We all remember the Tánaiste doing his best Ryanair impression by promising cheaper childcare for all. The Government announced a budget of €1.47 billion, and that sounds impressive until you read the small print. The money will … could also have taken responsibility for the wages, which are 70% of providers’ costs. If it did that, it could start to bring childcare costs down to €200 per month for parents. On disability services, the Government has added more funding there too, apparently. It looks good

facilities scheme next year. It provides crucial capital funding for sports facilities up and down the country. On the movement being made on childcare, it is important to note that 35,000 additional places will be funded and the extension of the building blocks grant scheme will … opportunity to look in the coming three to four years at how we encourage and incentivise houses without earners, through provision of childcare, training and support, to go into work

investment in the school transport scheme and DEIS supports shows a clear recognition of the need to back young people and their futures. Childcare and disability services have been prioritised too. Expanded access to childcare places, improved funding for Tusla and investment in disability supports will make

promises for everyone else. People see that, and this is raw for students facing a €500 fee increase, parents seeing no reduction in childcare costs - when they can get a childcare place - families struggling with the cost-of-living crisis and people unable to find a home

will continue to support the early years, education and further and higher education sectors through continued funding for early years, including the national childcare scheme and early childhood care and education, additional childcare places, additional teaching posts, investment in the school transport scheme, an increase in primary

talk to their constituents because if they did they would know the situation they are in. The other side of this is childcare. The Government promised that no parent would pay more than €200. There is nothing in the budget to meet those people’s needs. They … struggling. Childcare is probably the second biggest bill coming into a household other than a mortgage. There is nothing for those people. This budget did nothing for the ordinary hardworking mother or father who gets up every morning, works hard, puts the food on the table and pays

fact, the only PAYE worker who benefits from this is Ronald McDonald. Student fees are up by €500, with no commitment to €200 childcare or a public childcare scheme and no second tier of child benefit. In their speeches, neither the Minister for Finance nor the Minister

reasonable level of funding in the early years up to €125 million. However, as others have said, there is nothing about State-funded childcare. There is nothing about reducing the costs of childcare, which is a missed opportunity. In education, I welcome the additional SNAs and teacher funding

limits reduced. How many more children will be transported to school next year with the €69 million announced? Where is the action on childcare that was promised in the first 100 days? Families in Kildare agus fud fad an Stáit are still waiting as childcare remains either unaffordable

energy prices, a promise of progressive tax changes to put money back in workers' pockets. The Government promised to make services, including healthcare, childcare, and education affordable and to reduce the cost of the weekly shop. It seems that promises made by the Government in elections are soon … facing double-digit price increases. It could have increased renters' credit, giving them a break. It could have reduced the cost of childcare to €200 a month, as it promised to do in the election. What has the Government delivered in terms of the dire state of much

pace with the cost of living. We are in the midst of a cost-of-living crisis. Families are struggling to afford groceries, childcare, energy bills and housing. Yet instead of easing the tax burden, the budget leaves them exposed. The failure to index tax bands to inflation … child. Where is that promise today? Aside from the rent or the mortgage for a typical family, the second biggest expense is childcare. Where are the election promises? They are not there. It promised false promises. On healthcare, the promises ring hollow. Waiting lists grow. Services are stretched

stores saw a 44% decrease and sports and athletic areas experienced a 38% reduction. There are low volumes of claims for accidents in childcare settings, a sector that has historically reported high insurance costs, but insurance is one of the reasons that paying for childcare is still like

that insurance is now one of their biggest bills and is more expensive than electricity in most cases. In west Waterford, a local childcare provider described to me how employer and public liability insurance has become such that she really questioned whether she would open her doors … September. Thankfully, she has, and we have averted the loss of really essential childcare spaces but it was touch and go and she is not confident that she will not make a loss because of the enormous cost of insurance. What we are calling for here is very

Minister about a number of key commitments in relation to childcare in early years in the programme for Government, specifically the broad consultation, the detailed action plan to ensure accessible, affordable, high-quality childcare and also the review of core funding. I ask her to provide us with

here before, an analysis was carried out with the family resource centre in Boyle, County Roscommon. That analysis found that there are 20 childcare places per 1,043 children for Boyle and its catchment area. A total of 77% of children aged between zero and four years … have no access to a childcare place. They would have liked, through the building blocks scheme, to purchase an existing building in the town. The limitations of the building blocks scheme - we have discussed this before - in that it applies to existing providers and to purchasing or building

Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to outline the progress, the plan and the timescale for reducing costs for childcare for parents; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39958/26

Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of childcare providers that are part of the core funding scheme, broken down by local authority area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40128/26

Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of childcare providers that are part of the core funding scheme, broken down by county; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40129/26

Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of childcare providers that have exited the core funding model, broken down by local authority area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40130/26

Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality in relation to the 7% of childcare providers that are not part of the core funding model, if they are categorised as being predominantly in urban or rural areas; and if she will make a statement

Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality in relation to the 7% of childcare providers that are not part of the core funding model, the number of those providers that had previously been part of the scheme; and if she will make a statement

Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality in relation to any childcare provider that has left the core funding model, if the basis for their leaving is categorised; if so, if there is a commonality as to the reason many centres are leaving

Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will seek the powers of HIQA be extended to regulate and inspect private residential childcare services. [40241/26

assistance is available to the parent of the vulnerable child (details supplied) to obtain an available childcare placement given all options have been exhausted at this point, including contact with the local CCC and exploring the option of childminders with no success; and if she will make

Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of eight-week underattendance notifications Pobal has issued since the national childcare scheme commenced, by programme year, in tabular form. [40296/26

Children, Disability and Equality the number of families that have had their subsidy reduced or withdrawn under the underattendance rules of the national childcare scheme, broken down by programme year, in tabular form. [40297/26

Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will confirm if ECCE-only childcare services are liable for commercial rates; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38671/26

Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of outstanding Garda vetting applications for early years childcare workers. [38452/26

Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of Garda vetting applications for early years childcare staff in the last two years; and the current average, shortest and longest processing times. [38454/26

Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will provide a ranking of local electoral areas showing where childcare unmet demand is highest; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38031/26

December 2025; the specific measures in place to ensure children living in emergency accommodation can access early learning and childcare services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38082/26

Housing, Local Government and Heritage for an update on the status of planned reforms to the planning system to ensure that appropriate childcare facilities are planned for and delivered as part of new residential developments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37310/26

Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the reason Tusla does not readily hold annual expenditure data on private childcare placements prior to 2024; and whether she is satisfied with the Agency’s financial data retention and reporting systems. [36695/26

Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether Tusla maintains a central database recording expenditure by private childcare placement provider; and if so, whether she will provide the total expenditure by provider for 2024 and 2025. [36696/26

Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the total number of children placed in private residential childcare settings in each year from 2020 to 2026, in tabular form. [36697/26

Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the proportion of all residential childcare expenditure accounted for by private providers in each year from 2020 to 2026. [36700/26

Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of Tusla-operated residential childcare places added nationally in each year from 2020 to 2026. [36702/26

asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether the Department has received any briefing regarding risks associated with reliance on private residential childcare placements, including cost inflation, placement shortages, or geographic dependency. [36704/26

Equality if her Department will mandate that local city and county councils prioritise tenders from community groups over private providers for community childcare in publicly owned facilities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36975/26

Children, Disability and Equality if she will mandate city and county councils to identify land and premises that would be suitable for community childcare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36976/26