continuing in the context of budget 2026. However, there will be a real focus on affordability of public services in education, childcare and healthcare. That is something many Government Ministers want to prioritise. In the aftermath of the summer economic statement, we absolutely acknowledge the need to support
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In debates
price of everything but the value of nothing. In every part of the city we are seeing privatisation - in healthcare, housing, public services, childcare and bin collection. That takes what should be for everyone and makes it just for some. That process is also incredibly difficult to reverse
Buckley - To discuss the flood relief programme for Rathcormac, Castlemartyr, Killeagh and Mogeely in County Cork.
Deputy Aidan Farrelly - To discuss the national childcare scheme for children with disabilities.
Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan - To discuss implementation of the legislative timelines for assessing and reimbursing medicines applied
Deputy David Cullinane - To discuss funding for capital developments at ports and fishery harbours in Waterford.
Deputy Aidan Farrelly - To discuss the national childcare scheme for children with disabilities.
Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan - To discuss the implementation of legislative timelines for assessing and reimbursing medicines applied
Kildare covering a range of issues and especially impacting due to our growing population. These include the lack of gardaí, lack of childcare and even the water infrastructure that seems to be crumbling in our areas. In 2022 the population in Kildare was 246,000. That
finance local government. It is a key factor. If we want better public services delivered at a local level, including affordable, high-quality childcare, improvements in housing and myriad other services, changes are best made at local government level. I make that overall point in case anyone
development is built, couples might move in without children, the area is not taken in charge, the children are born, they go into childcare, preschool, primary school, secondary school and college, they stay at home after college because they cannot find somewhere to rent and then they leave
left, right and centre by soaring prices with no let-up. With extortionate rent, big electricity and gas bills, high fuel prices, unaffordable childcare and runaway insurance premiums, prices are out of control. Workers and families are squeezed and forced to live week to week. They ask themselves
right;
— the cost-of-living crisis is putting ever greater pressure on workers and families while access to key public services including healthcare, childcare, disability and special needs services places even greater financial burdens on communities;
— after 4 months in office it is clear that this do-nothing
Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality regarding the gradual reduction of childcare costs as committed to in the programme for Government; the steps she has taken to progress this policy; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32763/25
sure the Minister campaigned, as I did, on the issue of childcare during the election campaign. It has remained a live issue since. We are committed to reducing that cost gradually. It is a commitment in the programme for Government. Will the Minister update us on the progress
also for the cap on it. Unfortunately, in Dublin, the €750,000 cap prevents some of the really good, experienced, community-led childcare programmes from expanding. I ask the Minister to continue to do all she can in this area in providing more capital funding, as well
very difficult to determine families who have different needs at different times and therefore may require longer or lesser hours in a childcare facility. It is a matter for parents in this respect because we do not know their individual circumstances but I hear the point he raises
Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the measures being taken to address the shortage of after-school childcare places in the mid-Cork region; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32414/25
Parents in different parts of mid-Cork have raised with me the difficulty they have in getting available after-school childcare. They are possibly travelling long distances or waiting a long time to get a place, if they are lucky enough to do so. Could the Minister outline
need for facilities that work through the medium of Irish to be provided for. This is not just in terms of childcare but also includes a range of facilities that fall within the remit of the Department. That is a hugely important initiative
Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the steps taken to reduce the cost of childcare to €200 per month, to date in 2025; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32101/25
Minister might consider reopening the scheme and widening the eligibility criteria to enable private providers to apply. There are very few public childcare providers in Dublin Fingal West. I would love to see that being prioritised for delivery in the roll-out of the scheme. The Minister should
What about the broader point of childcare? Are there any additional supports for those mothers
Specifically, that is a matter for the Department of Social Protection. I am speaking to our remit, which is childcare provision and care for disability
staff in 2023 found the staff turnover of healthcare assistants in private nursing homes was as high as 54% in 2022. Even the childcare sector does not have staff turnover figures as high as that. Sitting in the Department of Health since 2022 is a report
under way. Of course pay and terms and conditions, just as Deputy Sherlock rightly says are factors in other sectors such as childcare, are factors in this also. We also need to get the legislative basis right. We need the safeguarding legislation. We also need to make sure
minimum wage, and the incredible turnover figures of 54% in 2022 among healthcare assistants. We are all talking about the turnover in the childcare sector and other sectors. I do not think the figure of 54% can be beaten across any other industry in the country. There
baseline staffing ratio, as there is in the acute setting. There is no baseline education or training requirement. In a childcare setting, there is. Why is that not in place in a senior setting? HIQA also pointed out an area which alarmed me, namely, that there are three
home to provide that support. However, if they did either of those things, they would not get the benefit of the national childcare scheme or the ECCE scheme, so the cost is extremely burdensome.
As matters stand, although the Minister of State might put me right, the mother
In parliamentary questions
Shane Moynihan
Written
asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her Department has given further consideration to undertake an audit of early learning and childcare facilities, which have been granted planning permission as part of large scale residential development; and if she will make a statement on the matter
Emer Currie
Written
Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the total number of children supported by income-assessed childcare subsidies, by county, in 2025; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52927/25
Emer Currie
Written
Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the average payment under income-assessed childcare in 2025. [52929/25
Ken O'Flynn
Written
Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will publish detailed, disaggregated data showing the number of childcare providers entering and leaving the sector nationally and by county each year since 2015, including whether those providers were part of the core funding
Ken O'Flynn
Written
Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the steps her Department is taking to prevent excessive childcare fee increases, including whether consideration has been given to introducing statutory fee caps or a link between the core funding scheme and maximum allowable fee levels
Ken O'Flynn
Written
Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the locations where State-led childcare facilities are currently being planned or developed, including projected capacity, opening dates, costs, and the criteria used for site selection. [52983/25
Ken O'Flynn
Written
Children, Disability and Equality the specific supports (financial, operational, training, or business supports) which are being made available to smaller and rural childcare providers to maintain their viability within the core funding scheme. [52984/25
Mark Wall
Written
Mark Wall asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she can provide a location and date of closure for the 759 childcare providers within the State who have closed their doors over the past five years; and if she will make a statement on the matter
Duncan Smith
Written
Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the policy for the cap on childcare fees for parents whose children attend facilities for less than 50 hours per week (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53669/25
Shane Moynihan
Written
Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for an update on the progress being made in relation to reviewing the 2001 planning guidelines for childcare facilities; if an audit of facilities granted planning permission to date would provide important insights into their effectiveness as part of this
Roderic O'Gorman
Written
Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children registered for early years and school age childcare for the 2025-2026 programme year; the number which were registered for the previous three programme years; and if she will make a statement
Roderic O'Gorman
Written
registered for ECCE for the years 2025-2026; the percentage of the total number of children registered for early years and school age childcare for the 2025-2026 programme year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52628/25
Roderic O'Gorman
Written
ECCE year two for the 2025-2026 programme; the percentage of the total number of children registered for early years and school age childcare for the 2025-2026 programme year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52629/25
Robert O'Donoghue
Written
Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will prioritise the provision of community based, not-for-profit early education and school age childcare services in public buildings, such as schools, over corporate, for-profit providers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52672/25
Emer Currie
Written
providers of after-school services for between junior and senior infants and first to sixth class students in the case of a childcare service (details supplied) and that funding for first to sixth class children does not cover operating costs; and if she will make a statement
Emer Currie
Written
Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of school age childcare places in each county in 2020 to 2024 and to date in 2025; and her definition of pre-school in terms of age. [52856/25
Shane Moynihan
Written
Moynihan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she has considered the impact of the automatic enrolment retirement savings system on childcare providers as an additional cost; if there is guidance available for providers on this; and if she will make a statement on the matter
Claire Kerrane
Written
Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if consideration has been given to the impact on community and private childcare providers of the introduction of auto-enrolment and the significant added cost this will place on providers; if she plans to take any action
Michael Healy-Rae
Written
Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the measures which will be taken to ensure pay parity for those providing childcare (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52458/25
Naoise Ó Muirí
Written
Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for an update on the granting of an extension for a childcare service (details supplied) under the building blocks improvement scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51625/25
Emer Currie
Written
Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the total number of recipients of the national childcare scheme, by year from 2020 to date in 2025; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51727/25
Emer Currie
Written
Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the total number of recipients of the national childcare scheme universal subsidy, by year from 2020 to date in 2025; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51728/25
Emer Currie
Written
Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the total number of recipients of the national childcare income-assessed subsidy, by year from 2020 to date in 2025; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51729/25
Emer Currie
Written
Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the total cost of the national childcare scheme, by year from 2020 to date in 2025; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51730/25
Emer Currie
Written
Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the total cost of the national childcare scheme income-assessed subsidy, by year from 2020 to date in 2025; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51731/25
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