past six years. Motor insurance premiums are up 17%. Toll charges are up. Local property tax is up. Student fees are up, and childcare fees still continue to be a second mortgage for those who have to pay them. I could go on.
People are being crushed
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In debates
getting worse and people are under more pressure than ever. They are still being crucified by energy bills, food prices, insurance and childcare. The list goes on and on and people at home know it. The Government needs to show some humility and admit that it got this
management in relation to the north city arterial watermain works commencing in north Dublin.
Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan - To discuss the provision of childcare facilities in Cork North-Central.
Deputy Albert Dolan - To discuss the allocation of SET and SNA hours for primary schools.
Deputy Colm Burke
place at the moment will also have to change.
On the point about the graduated warning system, our approach to closing schools and childcare facilities changed when we introduced that system. We have to look at its impacts on workers, particularly those in the most vulnerable areas
whatever rent is demanded, no matter how extortionate. How are parents expected to absorb this on top of the food, fuel, fees and childcare for younger children? How many students will be priced out of education altogether?
I move on to the figures for tenancies in County Mayo
paying €1,600, €1,700 and up to €2,000 in rent, depending on where they are. Some of them are paying childcare fees on top of that, along with a million other things. How are those people supposed to make ends meet? This creates an incentive
Deputy Shane Moynihan - To discuss enhancing public transport links between Lucan and the airport.
Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan - To discuss the provision of childcare facilities in Cork North Central.
Deputy Robert O'Donoghue - Timeline for construction of the new educational campus for St. Joseph's Secondary School, Rush
delays are causing problems. People are missing work. They are missing educational opportunities. They are missing school. They are missing medical appointments and childcare commitments. It is made worse, as I mentioned, by the lack of that shelter.
My colleague, Councillor Supriya Singh, whom I mentioned previously
down, causing hardship for the staff providing the treatment and for those who are awaiting the treatment, often impacting on things such as childcare and their ability to travel back to where they live in other parts of the country.
On equality of access, I will read
price hikes. It is not just health insurance. It is energy bills, rent, groceries, motor fuel and childcare. Households are being hammered non-stop, yet Government sits back and does nothing to stop the rip-off. There is something the Tánaiste could do on health insurance costs
always, I want to thank Deputy Currie for the very constructive suggestions she makes constantly with regard to childcare and how we support parents, particularly with the early years. We have done a lot in relation to parental entitlements in recent years, including extending the parent's benefit
registration during the three-year transition period to September 2027. Families using childminders are not necessarily able to avail of the national childcare scheme subsidies. Lots of parents out there are worried their childminders are not going to sign up to Tusla. The supply is not there
broad strokes, I welcome this Bill and the debate in the Chamber on it, be it on childcare places or the Bill itself. Today I want to focus on two points, namely, the duty to co-operate and the establishment of the committee. For the past couple
this Government championing? Is it those with a disability? Is it those struggling to find a home or to find affordable childcare, or is it the large property developers and multinational corporates like Starbucks and McDonalds? When we look at the measures put in place by Fianna Fáil
This Bill represents the most significant reform of childcare since the of the Child Care Act 1991 came into force more than three decades ago. I very much welcome the opportunity to speak on it. Child welfare practice, interagency working and our understanding of children's rights have
problems that are caused by Garda vetting delays to community organisations, sports clubs and childcare services, among others, have been well set out by Deputy Daly. People will agree that the most bizarre revelation has been that Garda vetting is actually affecting the gardaí themselves. The Minister confirmed
Cahersiveen town and the footpaths up to a safe and acceptable standard.
Deputy Conor D. McGuinness - To discuss commercial rates bills for Waterford childcare providers participating in the early childhood care and education, ECCE, scheme.
Deputy Pa Daly - To discuss the expanded use of the discretionary medical card
operated on a not-for-profit basis are exempt from rates, it does not provide a general exemption from rates for all childcare or childminding facilities operating on a for-profit basis. To avoid ambiguity, if an early childhood care and education facility is operated
thank the Minister of State for his response. It clarifies the situation in that he stated explicitly that for-profit childcare providers are liable for rates. However, there has been a change of policy. It may have taken place several years ago but there has been a change
operated on a not-for-profit basis are exempt from rates. It does not provide a general exemption from rates from all childcare or childminding facilities operating on a for-profit basis. There are a number of avenues of redress for an occupier of a property
discuss the shortfall of SEN primary school places in Shankill, County Dublin.
Deputy Conor D. McGuinness - To discuss commercial rates bills for Waterford childcare providers participating in the ECCE scheme.
Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí - To discuss ongoing issues with the 15 bus in north Dublin.
Deputy Maurice Quinlivan
special educational needs, SEN, primary school places in Shankill, County Dublin.
Deputy Conor D. McGuinness - To discuss commercial rates bills for Waterford childcare providers participating in the early childhood care and education, ECCE, scheme.
Deputy Louis O'Hara - To discuss the remaining sections of the Athenry relief road
request flexible work is actually helpful to employees?
Flexible work is vital for workers. For parents, it is an absolute necessity. With childcare in crisis in terms of both costs and places due to Government failure to address the sector, workers need that flexibility for school runs, after
believe to be completely untenable given that his company was importing Brazilian beef. I hope he will act on my letter.
The childcare system is in crisis
Taoiseach is not serious about childcare. He is quite happy to let working families struggle and to have children left behind
In parliamentary questions
Naoise Ó Cearúil
Written
Cearúil asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when the National Planning Statement will issue in 2026; if it will make childcare provision a binding requirement, including fit-out and operational phasing, and introduce a presumption against the change of use of crèche sites, with reference
Naoise Ó Cearúil
Written
Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to issue a circular confirming that childcare demand in apartment schemes must be based on child-yield methodology, and that any on-site facility must be at ground-floor level with safe access and outdoor
Emer Currie
Written
engagement with the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage in relation to the review of the 2001 planning guidelines for childcare facilities; if she has met with the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage in relation to this matter; the outcome of the meeting; her views
Claire Kerrane
Written
further details of phase one of the early years action plan; if she will provide specific details regarding how the plan will assist childcare service providers tackle rising and immediate costs and administrative burdens; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [74371/25
Claire Kerrane
Written
formulating phase one of the early years action plan, with just one large provider of only part-time services on the new childcare forum; her views on whether this lack of adequate consultation may have negatively impacted the plan; the steps she proposes to take to address
Richard Boyd Barrett
Written
continuity plan to prevent the loss of community-based services for vulnerable teenagers where a programme has historically relied on the national childcare scheme support but now faces a shortfall as participants age out of eligibility; and whether she will engage with the service (details supplied) and relevant
Richard Boyd Barrett
Written
Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the reason the national childcare scheme (NCS) which is available to children from 6 months of age and offers up to 45 hours per week, while the AIM model which supports ECCE programmes with additional resources
Barry Ward
Written
November 2025, the actions she will take to address the significant additional costs imposed on families that have children attending childcare centres classified under Band F; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [74771/25
Barry Ward
Written
November 2025, her views on the merits of creating a targeted financial support for families that have children attending childcare centres classified under Band F; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [74772/25
Pat Buckley
Written
Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to extend the national childcare scheme to working families that use private childminders due to the lack of available creche places; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [74828/25
Emer Currie
Written
Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the vacant childcare places in ELC and SAC services for the years 2020- 2021, 2021-2022, 2022-2023 and 2024-2025; and the overall national average from 2020 to 2025, by county, in tabular form. [75082/25
Marie Sherlock
Written
Deputy Marie Sherlock asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the average national childcare fee in 2025 encompassing the NCS subsidy and parent contribution. [75124/25
Emer Currie
Written
Equality to conduct an analysis on the impact of the 2024 fee adjustments on families who receive income assessed subsidies through the national childcare scheme based on their income of €26,000 and below; the number of families that were out of pocket by the fee increases
Emer Currie
Written
Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of times the national childcare scheme subsidies for families on incomes of €26,000 or less have been increased since it launched in 2019. [1695/26
Roderic O'Gorman
Written
Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if flexibility can be built into the Core Funding contract when new childcare rooms are opened after the Core Funding submission deadline; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1769/26
Roderic O'Gorman
Written
Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the level of direct engagement she has had with groups representing childcare providers since she took office; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1770/26
Naoise Ó Cearúil
Written
Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to publish quarterly county level dashboards detailing new childcare capacity, waiting lists by age band, and the number of estate crèches opened versus those permitted, with reference to County Kildare; and if she will make
Naoise Ó Cearúil
Written
Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality when the 2001 Childcare Facilities Guidelines will be updated; whether the revised guidance would include a modernised demand assessment for apartment developments, including one bed, studio and appropriate two bed units; and if she will make
Albert Dolan
Written
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
Paul Donnelly
Written
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
Edward Timmins
Written
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
Mark Wall
Written
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
Pa Daly
Written
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
Written
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
Naoise Ó Muirí
Written
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
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