apologise. I had two questions. I will introduce the first one again. The question is on childcare. Naíonra Chaisleáin Nua was set up fadó fadó and we have a huge problem retaining staff. The whole early years sector is bursting at the seams with children but staff
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In debates
thank the Deputy. I acknowledge that many early learning and care and school-age childcare services report staffing challenges in relation to recruitment and retention. In general, these staffing pressures in the sector are caused not by insufficient supply of qualified personnel, but by high levels of staff
funding.
It is trickling down to the likes of Naíonra Chaisleáin Nua and Naíonra Chathair Dhún Iascaigh and to English-language playschools and childcare facilities, which make up the majority of them. Obair stairiúil atá á déanamh ag gach ceann acu but they need the supports. They
Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth what steps she intends to take to implement the programme for Government commitment to extend the national childcare scheme to childminders working in the family home with sensible regulations that fit home-based care; and if she will make a statement
also congratulate the Minister on her appointment.
When does she intend to implement the programme for Government commitment to extend the national childcare scheme to childminders working in the family home with sensible regulations that fit home-based care
Minister committed to instructing her officials to change the regulations to ensure she fulfils this programme for Government commitment to extend the childcare scheme to childminders working in the family home
area.
Deputy Alan Kelly - To discuss the potential pedestrianisation of the old Ballina-Killaloe bridge.
Deputy Paul McAuliffe - To discuss the provision of childcare in Ballymun and the building blocks grant scheme.
Deputy James Geoghegan - To discuss crime in Dublin city.
Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett - To discuss cutbacks
child's life, but there needs to be far greater synergy between the world of paediatrics and the follow-up and early childcare services. We also need to increase significantly the capacity, context and environment for therapists to work. There have been challenges within the CDNTs. In many
that there would have been many more parents here but for the fact that they cannot get out because of the lack of childcare facilities or someone to look after their children with special needs.
The area I represent has seen tremendous growth in the past 20 years
more competitive insurance sector. In particular, it helped secure insurance availability in challenging areas such as equestrian activities, the hiring of inflatables and childcare by connecting affected groups with relevant stakeholders.
Since taking up my role, I have commenced a process of engagement with key stakeholders, including Insurance
suffering, further upend lives, and penalise victims for having been abused, especially in situations where a victim of domestic abuse is the primary childcare provider. It is morally unacceptable that a woman can be forced into homelessness for having been abused by her partner, but that is what
young people have when they are starting out? What hope does anybody trapped in low-paid employment or those paying massive childcare costs have when trying to look for a mortgage? There is an inequality in housing in the city, in terms of who controls the land
State and services must follow suit. I will be working closely with the new Ministers to deliver progress on education and childcare facilities, particularly the various school building projects being planned and those under way.
It is worth underlining that progress and investment are underpinned by our successful
House over the next few years. We have infrastructural deficits in our water services and electrical grid and issues with childcare places and school places. We need to overhaul, support and fund our youth sector. The Narrow Water bridge must be finished and the roads around it must
hubs, community centres and sporting grounds, let us not be afraid to tackle and change how we do business. Deputy O'Reilly mentioned childcare and crèches. Let it be put on record so that it should never be forgotten.
In terms of the community response, Members should recognise
Member in each case:
Deputy Emer Currie - To discuss the impact of the new fee adjustments under core funding on national childcare scheme subsidies.
Deputy Alan Kelly - To discuss the potential pedestrianistion of the old Ballina-Killaloe bridge.
Deputy Aidan Farrelly - To discuss a shortfall of school places
transformative change that is deeply desired and urgently required. In particular, it will not deliver the change that is needed on housing, healthcare, childcare, disability services and climate action. This is deeply disappointing, particularly in housing where the previous Government's own expert commission called for a radical
delivery. In particular, I want to highlight the package of supports for small and medium-sized businesses, including a reduction in VAT, reduced childcare costs of €200 per family over the lifetime of the Government and better access to disability services, with a senior Minister focused on driving
impacted. A Montessori school in Donegal was without power for over a week, which affected over 30 families who had no access to childcare. The parents were forced to take significant time off work. Some 12 days later, there are still premises in Donegal without electricity and without
door wide open for polluting LNG. It seems the private sector will continue to be relied on to deliver essential public services like childcare while workers' rights are only getting derisory treatment. The Government has abandoned initiatives such as drug policy reform and the citizens' assembly
Government must be to ensure that everybody can have a home of their own, to transform our health services, to deliver affordable childcare and to really tackle the cost of living. These things can and must be fixed but they will only be fixed by moving beyond
sign of positive change either from the programme for Government. There is no transformative vision, no State construction company, no public childcare scheme, no strengthening the protection of workers' rights and no radical measures to protect our climate and biodiversity. We in Labour cannot support this programme
affordable for working people, a Government that would transform our health services and end the wait for treatment, one that would introduce affordable childcare for families, ensure a better, fairer deal for ordinary workers and ensure that our young people can build a future and a life here
places for their children, and we all know about that huge issue across the country. It is about the parents struggling to find childcare when their child's crèche closes. It is about young adults booking one-way tickets to Australia because they see no future for themselves
doors was the cost-of-living crisis. Once-off payments are not enough for struggling families who find it impossible to pay for childcare, heat homes and put food on the table. Regarding small businesses, we expect anyone negotiating for Government to demand an immediate drop
In parliamentary questions
Sinéad Gibney
Written
Deputy Sinéad Gibney asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the steps her Department is taking to address the cost of childcare in areas like Dublin Rathdown, where the cost is above the national average and previous interventions have been unable to bring it down
Sinéad Gibney
Written
asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her Department keeps statistics on the opening and closure of early years education and childcare settings; and if she will provide these figures broken down monthly, by local authority, and by capacity, for the past three years, in tabular
Robert Troy
Written
Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will outline any proposed funding opportunities for community childcare buildings to improve their facilities given current funding seems to only allow for extensions rather than improvements. [43915/25
Mark Wall
Written
Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will provide a breakdown of the current funding streams for childcare; the breakdown of the additional funding provided in Budget 2025, in tabular form; the expected funding required in 2026 to maintain existing levels
Mark Wall
Written
Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the additional funding required to reduce the costs of childcare for parents to respectively €50 per week or €200 per month; to provide a breakdown of the additional allocations required, in tabular form; and if she will
Barry Heneghan
Written
increasing parents' leave as an interim measure to support working families with infants under one year-of-age, given the current gap in childcare availability for this age group; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44191/25
Richard Boyd Barrett
Written
Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the estimated total recurring and accumulated funding deficits reported by State-funded service providers across the childcare and disability sectors. [44326/25
Shane Moynihan
Written
Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation when the National Development Plan 2026-2035 will be published; if it will include a section on childcare infrastructure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40005/25
Conor D McGuinness
Written
McGuinness asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the amount of funding given to each county as part of the national childcare scheme and ECCE programme to date, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40528/25
Rory Hearne
Written
Deputy Rory Hearne asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to provide an update on any additional childcare facilities planned in the Ballymun and Finglas area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39795/25
Shane Moynihan
Written
Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality what the plans are for the operation of new public childcare infrastructure in light of the Revised National Planning Framework; if there is a preference for community-based provision or if private providers will be permitted
Barry Heneghan
Written
Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her Department will provide an updated list of all childcare providers currently availing of the core funding scheme; if she is aware that only a relatively small proportion of providers are participating, which
Barry Heneghan
Written
Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her Department will engage directly with smaller or community-based childcare providers as part of the core funding evaluation process, to ensure that the scheme’s accessibility challenges for providers of different sizes are fully captured
Barry Heneghan
Written
asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her Department has assessed the level of awareness and understanding among parents regarding which childcare providers are participating in the core funding scheme, given the confusion reported by some families about fee structures and eligibility; and if she will
Emer Currie
Written
Department of Children, Disability and Equality to develop a mechanism through the tax system to help lower the cost of fitting out childcare buildings that were built as a condition for planning permission for residential developments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39430/25
Barry Heneghan
Written
asked the Minister for Finance if his Department is considering the introduction of an income tax credit for parents with children in paid childcare, in line with models used in other EU Member States, with a view to easing the financial burden on low- and middle-income working
Matt Carthy
Written
times the actions he will take to address the fact that four district courts have a processing time of over 100 weeks regarding childcare family law cases as outlined in the Courts Service Annual Report for 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39256/25
Shane Moynihan
Written
Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for a review of a non-payment made to a childcare provider (details supplied). [39645/25
William Aird
Written
access to after-school child care services in primary schools, particularly for children finishing school at 2 pm; if the impact of limited childcare options on mothers' participation in the workforce has been assessed; if supports will be introduced to make aftercare more accessible and affordable for working
Barry Ward
Written
July 2025, if a tax rebate or any other financial support can be given to parents with children in childcare centres that are not signed up to the core funding model, resulting in higher fees
; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38333/25
Barry Heneghan
Written
Minister for Children, Disability and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 208 of 2 July 2025, if she is aware of concerns from childcare providers about how complex and difficult the Core Funding Scheme can be to use; if she will review the scheme to make it more
Barry Heneghan
Written
July 2025, if she will consider short-term supports for working parents of children under one year old, given the current shortage of childcare places for infants; if she will look at options such as extended paid maternity leave or extended parental leave; and if she will make
Ryan O'Meara
Written
Social Protection if there is any plan to increase the rate of €289 maternity benefit, considering the rising cost of living, parenthood, and childcare, especially for families with multiple children; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37202/25
Ken O'Flynn
Written
functions to her Department has impacted the residual budget allocations and responsibilities of the Department, particularly in the context of early learning and childcare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37740/25
Mark Ward
Written
Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to examine the childcare provider case (details supplied); if access and inclusion model funding can be backdated and clarity given for providers around timelines; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37674/25
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