evening. My constituency is Dublin South Central. Like many here, I have received many emails from parents which outline the prohibitive cost of childcare. I have had emails from people in Ballyfermot, Drimnagh and around Dublin 8 from people who are paying more than €1,000 a month
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In debates
have the second-highest minimum wage in Europe. It has risen by more than 33% over the past five years. We are reducing childcare costs. We have taken measures in relation to hot school meals, school books, reducing college fees and, crucially, we have done something really important
when people are struggling with costs. We know that the cost of groceries has gone up. We see double-digit rent increases, crippling childcare costs, and insurance costs going up and up. In the face of all of this and all that pressure, what the Tánaiste
number of measures, and that wages in Ireland are now growing ahead of inflation. We have taken action with regard to reducing childcare costs. That is just one example. We have made school books free and provided free school meals, measures that really help many families right across
aspects of our social welfare system coexist with means tests in operation across other domains such as health services, education, housing and preschool childcare. It is a matter for each Minister. Based on our experience since last year, however, I intend to highlight and bring to their attention
support and enable housing delivery and to ensure that housing delivery is aligned with the provision of services and facilities, including education, childcare, healthcare and recreational facilities, to support the expansion of existing settlements and the creation of new sustainable communities. Therefore, it will be critical to deliver
complexity. The DPP pressing a charge of manslaughter or murder can be taken into account at a policy level when dealing with childcare matters prior to a conviction. A similar law called Jade's Law was enacted in England and Wales in 2024.
Clodagh Hawe was murdered
outpatient appointment, including coming from a different part of Ireland and not Dublin, having to perhaps take a day off work to arrange childcare for other children, the cost of petrol, etc. There is also the emotional cost of planning for a particular outpatient appointment that does
officials are working on the solution and the 2021-22 fees list will be made available through the county and city childcare committees. Also published will be the list of services that have been approved to increase their fees through the fee increase assessment process
billion by the Government has gone into ensuring that money is in place to ensure reduced costs for parents. In addition, the national childcare scheme has undergone a number of enhancements, which include the extension of the universal subsidy to all children under 15. There have been
regulation orders. Core funding forms part of a significant State investment of €1.37 billion in funding under budget 2025 for early learning and childcare.
I recently met with joint labour committee representatives to acknowledge the committee's important role, to outline the Government’s continued support
months and it feels there is a gap between the providers and those representing the early years educators and managers in the childcare settings. It is really important. It is good we have had the opportunity here this evening to make that call
Youth her views on the €45 million allocated under budget 2025 to support further increases to the minimum rates of pay in the childcare sector. [20553/25
care and education, that key to ensuring the availability of these opportunities is the retention of qualified staff and early educators in the childcare sector, and key to this is increased rates of pay for the staff? Reports of the talks on the employment regulation order, which
look forward to another successful year of it this year.
I also acknowledge, specifically in terms of retention, that the early learning and childcare stakeholder forum now has a subgroup on recruitment and retention looking at a variety of issues, chief among them, of course, the issue
published in and around the first quarter of 2025 or thereafter. The Deputy made a very strong point that, where there is sufficient childcare, it ensures that we have equality of access to the labour market. I do not think that we should forget that
orders. Officials from my Department continue to discuss issues of recruitment and retention with stakeholders through a subgroup of the early learning and childcare stakeholder forum. The general consensus of the subgroup is that pay and working conditions are a significant barrier for recruitment and retention. In addition
fully agree that a lot of work is being done and a lot of improvements have occurred.
The other challenge in early childcare is access to appropriate facilities. We need to work together on access to facilities, not only in the Minister's Department but also across other
Cathy Bennett asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the timeframe in which she intends to reduce the cost of childcare to €200 per month; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21004/25
widest offering already available within communities. We also have work to do regarding new housing developments where provision should be made for childcare facilities. That is being asked for but it is not always provided. In some areas, it works really well but, to be honest, it does
Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to provide the number of access and inclusion model childcare places provided since 2020, by county, in tabular form; the actions she is taking to increase places; and if she will make a statement
asking this question for Deputy Wall. Will the Minister provide the number of access and inclusion model childcare places provided since 2020 by county in tabular form? What are the actions she is taking to increase the number of places? Will she make a statement on the matter
that, over time, all children with additional needs will have access to supports under AIM to access and participate in early learning and childcare. To this end, my officials are currently designing tailored AIM supports for younger children not yet eligible for the ECCE programme
building blocks extension grant scheme is offering the largest capital grants in many years and allows, for the first time since the national childcare investment programme, for the purchase or construction of new facilities to be operated by existing community providers. Up to €750,000 is available
fair, the Deputy has put it very eloquently and succinctly. Access to childcare and early learning opportunities is hugely important, and the Government recognises that. As regards our commitment, the present building blocks extension scheme money is required to be spent in this calendar year, and the Department
In parliamentary questions
Roderic O'Gorman
Written
Gorman asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality when the Action Plan for Administrative and Regulatory Simplification for the Early Learning and Childcare Sector will be published; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50107/25
Darren O'Rourke
Written
Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the measures she is taking to address the shortage of childcare places in County Meath; when she will deliver on the Programme for Government commitment to provide State-owned services where gaps exist
Aisling Dempsey
Written
Deputy Aisling Dempsey asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the action she is taking to ensure that childcare facilities are delivered where needed. [50128/25
Maeve O'Connell
Written
Connell asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to report on her Department’s work regarding the development of State-led childcare facilities. [49997/25
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 2020 to 2024, by year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49792/25
Emer Currie
Written
Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the total number of children supported by universal childcare subsidies, by county in 2020 to 2024, by year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49793/25
Emer Currie
Written
Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the total value of income-assessed childcare subsidies, in 2020 to 2024, by year. [49794/25
Emer Currie
Written
Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the average payment under income-assessed childcare, for 2020 to 2024, by year. [49795/25
Shane Moynihan
Written
Children, Disability and Equality for an update on the development of a forward planning model to identify and compare areas in terms of childcare need; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49815/25
Shane Moynihan
Written
Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for an update on progress being made to reduce the administrative burden on childcare providers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49816/25
Shane Moynihan
Written
Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her Department is considering policies to incentivise early learning and childcare providers to operate an extended timetable to accommodate parents requiring earlier drop-off or later collection times; and if she will make a statement
Catherine Connolly
Written
Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the details of the evaluation of the national childcare scheme promised for 2025; the status of the evaluation; the timeline for completion of the evaluation; her plans to publish the final report of the evaluation
Pádraig O'Sullivan
Written
asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of childminders who have registered with TUSLA and are part of the national childcare scheme, since the expansion of the scheme to include childminders; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50302/25
Claire Kerrane
Written
Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the reason children with additional needs are only sponsored with the national childcare scheme until children turn four years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49406/25
Ken O'Flynn
Written
Child Poverty and Well-Being Programme Office, the cross-Departmental actions that have been initiated to coordinate responses on income supports, housing, childcare access and educational disadvantage, in order to reduce housing-cost-adjusted child poverty rates; and if he will provide details of progress to date. [48419/25
Darren O'Rourke
Written
Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth the measures being taken to identify primary schools for after-school childcare services; the up-to-date position on the review of guidelines on the use of school buildings outside of school hours; and if she will
Ken O'Flynn
Written
Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection if additional supports, such as an enhanced qualified child allowance, targeted housing subsidies, or expanded childcare supports, are planned for households in or near poverty particularly affected by housing costs; and the timeline and funding plan for such measures. [48418/25
Martin Daly
Written
Deputy Martin Daly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the initiatives planned by Government to support the establishment of new childcare and preschool facilities in communities where early years services are currently unavailable or significantly lacking, such as Boyle in County Roscommon; if capital funding
Noel McCarthy
Written
Deputy Noel McCarthy asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the measures being taken by her Department to increase the provision of childcare services in east Cork given the current high demand for places; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48013/25
Cathal Crowe
Written
will consider extending the parental leave scheme past the existing 962 hours, in recognition of the challenges parents are facing with sourcing childcare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48172/25
Ken O'Flynn
Written
being taken to support families and schools affected by the early closure on Thursday, 23 October, due to polling requirements; and if additional childcare provisions or compensations will be put in place. [47536/25
Michael Cahill
Written
Cahill asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if there are any fast-track or alternative planning mechanisms for urgently needed childcare and preschool services, particularly in rural or underserved areas in Kerry. [45454/25
Ken O'Flynn
Written
Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will provide an updated national breakdown of average monthly childcare costs, by county; her views on recent reports that these now exceed average mortgage repayments in many areas; if she considers this compatible with
Roderic O'Gorman
Written
asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will include in the 2026-2027 core funding contract, new rules to regulate childcare deposits that would stipulate a maximum deposit equivalent to no more than two weeks’ fees at the time of booking, that the balance
Michael Healy-Rae
Written
Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the action that will be taken to tackle the core funding scheme for childcare being so dysfunctional (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45095/25
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