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wife and I recently went through the rigmarole of trying to secure a childcare place for our youngest son. It was an absolute nightmare. Thankfully, we are sorted now, 18 months later. Putting myself in the shoes of a parent with a child in a childcare facility that … been able to get a place, I would have been seething listening to yesterday’s budget announcements. The €200 reduction in childcare fees will no doubt be welcomed by parents whose children are in facilities that are in core funding, but those whose children are not have been

motion recognises a simple truth. Affordable childcare is not a luxury. It is an essential public service, a service families must be able to access. Crucially, childcare providers and early years educators must also be properly supported. In Galway, the reality is very different from the picture painted … Government. Parents contact me all the time because they cannot secure a childcare place. Many are forced onto lengthy waiting lists even before their children are born. Others are travelling significant distances because there simply is not the capacity in their local communities. That places a huge amount

cúram leanaí ró-chostasach agus níl dóthain áiteanna ann. For far too many families childcare is no longer just a challenge but a barrier to having children, returning to work or simply making ends meet. I am aware of couples who have delayed starting a family because … pressures bought about by the combined costs of childcare and housing. That is not their failure but a failure of Government. This is one of the wealthiest states in Europe. There is no excuse for parents still paying over €800 a month per child for childcare while also

announcements from local government representatives, but no meaningful action to deliver the Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael election promises of €200 per month childcare in the first 100 days of Government has come. Childcare is not a luxury and it needs to be given priority in investment … Louth, and almost 7,000 of those families have a child under the age of four. In sharp contrast, we only have 113 childcare providers, with 46% of these estimated to have a waiting list. We have parents waiting for places that just do not exist. The Government

bringing forward this motion. The Minister will be well aware that every TD in this House knows that parents are struggling with childcare. In my constituency of Cork North-Central, I meet these parents regularly. They are doing everything right. They are working hard. They are raising their … families. They are trying to get on with life, but they are being let down by a childcare system that simply is not working. This is about far more than the cost of childcare. It is about a shortage of places, a workforce crisis and a failure

Féin and Deputy Kerrane for bringing this important motion forward. For my generation and for young parents like me, or youngish parents anyway, childcare and housing are the crucial issues. Childcare and housing are both issues of accessibility and affordability. Both are also issues that have been left … urgent need for strong, direct State intervention. In this House last week, I raised issues with the Tánaiste regarding a local childcare provider in Knocklyon. Recently there has been a large number of last-minute room closures. Previous flexibility under a different ownership with summer hours or part

lack of childcare facilities is truly reaching breaking point. In my own constituency in north Kildare I hear from families who are constantly frustrated in trying to find childcare for their child. In every town in north Kildare the population is growing rapidly but the critical infrastructure … childcare facilities is not being provided. I am dealing with one in Kilcock at the moment. The impact of this failure is devastating, especially for women, who bear the brunt of it. Every day women are forced to make the impossible choice to step away from their careers

sense of balance and perspective here. The Deputy's assessment is way off the mark, in terms of painting a picture of where childcare is today compared with where it was even five years ago. We have delivered more progress on childcare in five years than … investment is at a record high and now, for the first time in the State's history, we are beginning to directly build childcare facilities. New measures announced this month will reduce fees further from September 2026. Childcare will be a central priority in budget 2027. We will

involved in funding them. The design of buildings and the designation of space within them, including for the purposes of early learning and childcare, is a matter for the owners of the building in accordance with the wider planning legislation. Individual planning decisions are a function of planning … authorities and An Coimisiún Pleanála is statutorily independent in the performance of these functions. The 2001 planning guidelines for local authorities and childcare facilities were issued under section 28 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 by the Minister for housing. The guidelines are intended to ensure

welcome the opportunity to speak on this Bill and to place on record the very real pressures facing families and childcare providers across County Kerry. While affordability is often discussed, the fundamental issue for many families is access. Quite simply, childcare places are not available. Parents contact … result. This is not an abstract policy issue. It is affecting household incomes, workforce participation and family well-being. We have top-class childcare facilities across the county of Kerry, as the Minister is well aware. We have them in Killarney, Rathmore, Cahersiveen, Dingle, Castleisland and Kenmare

thank the Minister. A commitment was made in the programme for Government to increase childcare supply by building or acquiring State-led facilities. There are 43,000 children on waiting lists for early learning, childcare and school-aged care places. In our planning system, the only provision … safeguard land for childcare facilities is a basic formula from 2001 which allocates 20 childcare places for every 75 homes. It is rudimentary and littered with loopholes. One-bedroom apartments are not included in the calculation and builders can secure an exemption by pointing to other childcare facilities

same constituency with a lot of young families. I share her objective of ensuring we develop more places and more opportunities to have childcare facilities and affordable childcare across our community and indeed in communities across the country. The Minister, Deputy Foley, is working with her allocation … working on a on a multiyear sectoral plan to set out specific steps and overall allocations in respect of some of the childcare schemes the Deputy referenced. As part of the budget, we agreed to continue. Obviously, the increased demand for childcare across our economy

treated as such. It is also an extraordinarily tragic and saddening incident. I thank the Deputy for raising the issue of childcare. I will speak directly to the Minister, Deputy Foley, about the issue she has highlighted in relation to Pobal and the drawdown of grants and where … that is at. I will ask the Minister to come back to her directly. We are absolutely committed to reducing the cost of childcare to €200 per month during the lifetime of the Government. I will also acknowledge that the Labour Party was the first party to propose

services that is so urgently needed for disabled people. The second is to deliver more affordable, accessible and high quality early learning and childcare. The third is to boost support for the essential child welfare and protection services delivered by Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. There … allocated to disability, just over half of all funding allocated to my Department. Another €1.48 billion has been allocated to early learning and childcare funding in budget 2026, which is an increase of €125 million in current funding. The allocation for Tusla, the Child and Family Agency

tír seo. People are looking at this budget today and are asking where are the promises from election 2024, where are the childcare fee cuts, where is the free GP care, and where are the 4,000 extra hospital beds. They will wonder how a Government that … introduction of a second-tier child benefit payment, by supporting families' ability to work through the provision of affordable and available childcare, by supporting families' ability to deal with the cost of living by extending free GP care, by expanding free public transport travel and by a permanent

first time, the programme for Government commits to a public model of childcare. The Taoiseach has confirmed that work is needed to map out how we will do that in a public building programme and how that will harmonise with existing provision. He also confirmed that … management unit has been established to do forward planning and delivery and to assess demand, plan and expand public supply using CSO figurers childcare committees and GIS systems. It is great we will be working on establishing demand but we will also have to back that up with

Families are absolutely broken and struggling with the cost of childcare. Very often, I am not sure people in this place fully understand the pressure the cost of childcare puts on families. That is if families even can get a place. There are some people for whom money … issue but they simply cannot find a place because of the underinvestment in childcare. For those for whom money is an object, if one is paying a mortgage or rent and on top of that one has two children in full-time childcare or early years education, that

serious need of investment and adequate funding. Parents are paying the equivalent of a mortgage for services. In some cases, they cannot access childcare even if they could afford it. My office in Swords responds every day to people caught up in this crisis. David from Malahide … mortgage payments next year. Nadia, a parent of a one-year-old child, is deeply concerned and anxious about the alarming lack of childcare services and the fact waiting lists are now extending into 2027. One parent summed up her frustration as follows: "This crisis is placing

thank Sinn Féin for bringing forward this motion. My constituency of Dublin Rathdown has the most expensive childcare in the country. I hear from people every week in emails, whether they are people I am in contact with or they contact me, who talk about the twin problems … families and the chronic lack of places. Those two inevitabilities end up with people either having to leave the workplace to provide childcare in their own home or a strain on families who are already squeezed by the cost of rent, groceries and electricity. I echo Deputy Farrelly

years. I hope he acknowledges the commitment of the Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael parties, with the Green Party, to the issue of childcare during the last Government when it dealt substantially with pay and conditions and money was allocated to successive Ministers for public expenditure in respect … trade unions on pay and conditions. The unions acknowledged that at the time. There was the freeze on increases in the cost of childcare and there was very significant investment in childcare itself. It struck me that when Members are in opposition they talk very nobly

creche, knowing their child is inside and wanting to collect their child but wondering if they can afford to do so. National childcare scheme subsidies should reflect the childcare parents have to pay for. When parents can spend more time with their children, the system should support that … enforce them, explain them to parents and deal with the consequences when the subsidies are reduced. They are trying to run a childcare service, support families and retain staff while navigating a complex system of administration and compliance. Under the NCS, providers must monitor and record attendance, manage

SIPTU's campaign for proper pay and conditions. I thank the Minister for coming to my constituency of Dublin North-West to visit childcare and early years services and see at first hand the need for investment. I ask her to support the investment in early years provision … That is an absolute scandal. The cost of raising children in this country has increased by 60% in the past decade. Childcare provision is a key area in which the Government has the power to reduce the cost of living. However, it has failed to deliver its promise

whole issue of access to affordable childcare is becoming critical for many parents. Affordability is an issue, and it is putting huge financial pressure, including a whole raft of other increasing costs, on parents. In the case of Laois, the average cost, according to the childcare committee … other issue and there are several blackspots across the county. In common with other counties, parents just cannot get access to childcare. According to the local childcare committee again, towns such as Portlaoise, Portarlington, Mountmellick, Mountrath, Graiguecullen, Rathdowney, Abbeyleix, Durrow, Arles and Ballylinan are short

However, serious questions must be asked as to how these works are being scheduled and the impact they are having on local families, childcare providers and businesses. Councillor Mark Boland and I have been inundated by a number of businesses in Lusk over the past couple of weeks … cannot use just what they have in the tank. It is not that they are early childhood care and education, ECCE, or national childcare scheme, NCS, services. When the water supply is interrupted, they simply cannot open their doors. The consequences are significant. Parents are left scrambling

Deputy Foley. It was a pre-election commitment by both our parties but massive inroads have been made into reducing the cost of childcare. I remember hearing debates in here where it was frequently described as a second mortgage. We have significantly reduced the cost of childcare … conditions. The Minister is aware a small number of services have regrettably chosen to withdraw from core funding. The Department, through the local childcare committees, CCCs, engages directly with any such service to highlight the benefits of staying in core funding, not only for their service but also

Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality her plans to address the shortage of childcare places across Waterford city and county; if she will consider Tramore as a pilot area for state-led childcare intervention; if she has considered correspondence from a group (details

Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether her Department is considering changes to the core funding scheme to facilitate the participation of childcare providers that previously withdrew due to concerns regarding fee caps and the financial sustainability of the scheme; whether measures are under consideration to ensure that … parents attending such services can benefit from Government childcare affordability supports; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52138/26

Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the measures her Department are taking to ensure that no childcare provider will be adversely affected by a possible reduction in childcare fees; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50973/26

Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the estimated full-year cost of increasing childcare subsidies to 100% of fees paid by parents availing of childcare subsidies; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51335/26

Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the total annual cost of wages for childcare workers; the number of childcare workers that are in receipt of Government support; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51337/26

Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children on waiting lists for public childcare places; the total cost of eliminating childcare waiting lists; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51338/26

Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether governance arrangements within city and county childcare committees would prevent a chairperson from simultaneously holding a senior management position with a childcare provider, and whether this would represent a conflict of interest; and if she will

available for an early education centre (details supplied) while it is awaiting the outcome of a sustainability fund application from the Dublin City Childcare Committee; to maintain this centre’s viability in the short term considering it is located in an area where there is already a significant … shortage of childcare places; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50327/26

Children, Disability and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 1016 of 26 May 2026, the average cost of a State-operated residential childcare placement and of a privately operated residential childcare placement; or to confirm that no comparative cost analysis between the two is conducted. [50667/26

Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of childcare services participating in the core funding scheme in County Waterford in each year since the scheme was established; the total amount of core funding allocated by her Department to those services … each year; the number of childcare places associated with those services in each year, according to the information available to her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49783/26

Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of childcare services in County Waterford that, to her knowledge and based on information held by her Department, have ceased operating in each year since 2020; the estimated number of childcare places thereby lost

Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of new childcare services that, according to information available to her Department, commenced operation in County Waterford in each year since 2020; the number of additional childcare places thereby created; if she considers this

Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the total value of capital funding allocated by her Department to childcare providers in County Waterford in each year since 2020 under all capital investment and expansion schemes; the number of successful applications; the number … additional childcare places projected to result from those investments; the number created to date, where known to her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49787/26

Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of childcare services in County Waterford participating in the national childcare scheme in each year since 2020; the total value of subsidies paid in respect of children attending those services in each year

Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether her Department holds information on the average fees charged by childcare providers participating in Core Funding nationally and in County Waterford; if so, the average annual fee in each year since 2022 and the annual … increase or decrease; if not, how her Department assesses whether Core Funding is reducing childcare costs for parents; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49790/26

Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of staff employed in childcare services participating in Core Funding in County Waterford in each year since 2020, according to information available to her Department; the corresponding national figures; if she is satisfied that … staffing levels are sufficient to meet existing and projected childcare demand; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49791/26

Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of childcare services in County Waterford that have received support under the building blocks expansion grant scheme and any successor expansion scheme; the value of funding approved in each case; the number of additional … childcare places her Department expects each project to deliver; the number delivered to date, where known; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49793/26

Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of additional childcare places her Department projected would be created nationally and in County Waterford through core funding, capital investment programmes and childcare expansion schemes since 2022; the number actually created to date, according

Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether her Department collects, receives or holds information on childcare waiting lists nationally or on a county basis; if so, the latest figures available for County Waterford and nationally; if not, whether she considers it appropriate … that neither she nor her Department has access to comprehensive waiting list data despite the acknowledged shortage of childcare places; how she assesses unmet demand in the absence of such information; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49795/26

Housing, Local Government and Heritage for an update on the review of the 2001 planning guidelines for local authorities on early learning and childcare settings in order to increase childcare supply; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48705/26

Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of early learning and school-age childcare facilities that have been found to be non-complainant on staffing ratios, staffing qualifications, Garda vetting, and basic needs, broken down by private or community service, service size … full day care, part-time, sessional, school-age childcare and county, in 2025 and 2026. [46906/26

Deputy Catherine Callaghan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the progress being made to increase the number of newly qualified childcare professionals, in order to adequately staff childcare services throughout Carlow and Kilkenny; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47403/26

Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to provide capacity data for 2025-2026 programme year for early learning and care and school age childcare for cork county as part of the early years sector profile; the way in which this data is being used to address the urgent … issues of supply meeting childcare demand for County Cor; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47537/26

Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the amount by which childcare fees will be reduced for a typical working family on the average wage with two children under five years under the national childcare scheme changes recently announced by her Department. [47222/26

Equality the assessment her Department has made of the impact of population growth in Ballincollig, Cork north central on demand for school-age childcare places; whether the County Childcare Committee structure in Cork has flagged Ballincollig as an area of capacity concern; and if she will make