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substitute the following: "welcomes the significant prioritisation by the Government of measures designed to: — reduce out of pocket costs of early learning and childcare for families; — better align the supply of State-subsidised early learning and childcare with demand; and — increase the pay and improve the working conditions … early years educators and school-age childcare practitioners, as well as develop career pathways and promote careers in the sector, in line with Nurturing Skills, the Workforce Plan (2021-2028); acknowledges the unprecedented growth in State funding in the sector, which has increased by 142 per cent since

Affordable and accessible childcare is a vital provision that has fundamental impacts on both our society and economy. A well-functioning early childhood education and care system is key to the future of our children as well as our own success. A public model of early childhood education … care is the only way we can achieve a system that is affordable, accessible and which addresses the childcare needs of families across this country. While we work towards that model, we must cap childcare fees at €200 per child per month. This fee cap is something

substitute the following: "welcomes the significant prioritisation by the Government of measures designed to: — reduce out-of-pocket costs of early learning and childcare for families; — better align the supply of State-subsidised early learning and childcare with demand; and — increase the pay and improve the working conditions … Early Years Educators and School-Age Childcare practitioners, as well as develop career pathways and promote careers in the sector, in line with Nurturing Skills, the Workforce Plan for Early Learning and Care and School-Age Childcare 2022-2028; acknowledges the unprecedented growth in State funding

move: That Dáil Éireann: acknowledges: — the importance of affordable and accessible childcare for children and parents, neither of which are being achieved for many families across the State; and — that there is no early years or childcare sector without the Early Years Educators and School-Age Childcare practitioners … work in it; notes that: — childcare costs remain far too high and are in excess of €800 per month in many parts of the State; — access to childcare is now a major labour market issue affecting our economy; — the need to ensure regulations for childminders are fair

Parents should not have to choose between collecting their children early and keeping their childcare subsidies, yet parents contacting me have described that dilemma, paying for a childcare place then facing higher bills because they can spend more time with their children. The national childcare scheme is essential … welcome the improvements in affordability in budget 2027 but the rules must reflect family life. Parents often have to sign up to fixed childcare hours. Many will pay until 6 p.m. because that is what the service offers or because their working arrangements require that flexibility. Collecting children

opening remarks, there are three central elements that guide the programme for Government's commitment to early learning and childcare. First, while significant progress has been made, we recognise that challenges remain and are committed to addressing them. Second, meaningful and measurable improvements have already been delivered. Third … over the lifetime of this Government. That includes ensuring that parents will pay no more than €200 per month for early learning and childcare. Early learning educators and school-age childcare practitioners will be remunerated at a level that reflects the importance of their work. State-led services

Sinn Féin colleagues for bringing it forward. Like many Deputies, I have been contacted by parents struggling to either find or afford a childcare place. I have also spoken to a number of providers in Kildare who are struggling either due to low funding or an inability … education and care is not working for anyone. It does not work for parents, providers or staff. Ireland has some of the highest childcare fees in the European Union, with many working families paying a second mortgage in childcare fees. We also have the highest level of private

main issues affecting countless families is childcare. The Dáil recognises the significant challenges many parents face in affording and finding suitable childcare. The shortage of childcare places has left many children on waiting lists. The high costs, sometimes exceeding €1,000 per month, place an immense additional financial … burden on families. We must acknowledge that childcare workers are not paid enough and do not receive fair working conditions. Independent Ireland finds areas of compatibility between the motion and our manifesto. Both highlight the unaffordable childcare costs, which sometime exceed €1,000 per month, and pledge

range of cast-iron commitments were made to the electorate. Chief among them was a promise to cap the cost of childcare at €200 a month. We were told that childcare costs were at the top of Fianna Fáil's agenda, while Fine Gael promised to publish … plan to cap costs and deliver a public model of childcare within the first 100 days of office. A full 475 days later, where are we now? Childcare costs have not come down by a single cent. Families with young children are still paying enormous sums for childcare

Taoiseach, Tánaiste and the Minister of State, I have to say I was in disbelief at what was announced on childcare in the budget yesterday. In the last two weeks it has been reported that between Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil there has been a wrestle between reducing … costs for parents or building childcare capacity. This budget does neither. We are all well aware that there are three big issues. They are the cost for parents, the severe lack of childcare places and pay and terms and conditions for our early years educators. If there

news that families with young children require childcare and early years education. Why, then, are these families continuously failed by the State in the provision of those services? In Dublin Rathdown, I am contacted regularly about childcare and early years education. Indeed, it is one of the foremost … closures. Costs are too high for parents and providers in the sector are in real difficulty. Young families are desperately struggling to find childcare for their children. I have been contacted by so many parents who are at their wits' end with this. Last week, a mother contacted

Minister to the Chamber for this very important debate. I thank Deputy Kerrane and Sinn Féin for bringing forward the motion on childcare. We are all agreed on the importance of this issue, albeit it is somewhat ironic that we are discussing it after midnight. While … this debate, it is the view of my party that the Government must go further to ensure there truly is delivery of public childcare provision. The current system of early childcare education and care is simply not working for providers, educators and, most importantly, working families. Ireland needs

Since 2019, almost 1,000 early years childcare services have closed their doors. The Minister has said that 579 new services have opened but she failed to say that most of these only cater for school-age children. There are currently 40,000 children on waiting lists … childcare across the country. The services that have closed could potentially have provided for 30,000 of those children. Childcare facilities are closing because of ever-rising costs and a lack of funding from Government. Many more small early childhood care and education, ECCE, services are going

this House over several years. I welcome the work put into it. Also on a positive note, the changes to improve Tusla and childcare across the system are welcome. Foster parents who take children into their home have to be commended. To show someone love and give someone … thank the Minister of State for her work on that. The parents we had in for the meeting were speaking of going through childcare, school and university, especially the CRC. Giving children with additional needs supports after they leave is important. The Clontarf Bulls reiterated that. I thank

wish to talk to the Minister of State about the absence of childcare provision in Dublin Central. I use the example of Dublin Central because it is the area I am proud to represent, but I could be talking about any community to be found the length … breadth of Ireland. Childcare provision and access to childcare, where it exists, is simply too difficult. The Government made a commitment before the election, promising to progressively reduce childcare costs to €200 monthly under the national childcare scheme. In reality, parents in Dublin Central are still facing

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire Stáit. I want to begin by welcoming the announcement of the first State-led early learning and childcare capital projects, including the proposed new facility in Raphoe Community Playgroup in my constituency of Donegal. It is an area I campaigned on for quite … presence of defective concrete blocks back in June 2024. What this does is demonstrate that the State recognises that, where a community childcare facility cannot have a sustainable future in its existing building, there needs to be a pathway for a new facility. That goes to the core

acknowledge the work that an Teachta Kerrane has put in on this important motion. Affordable childcare is a real challenge for families in my constituency, Dublin Fingal East, one of the largest and fastest growing areas. We are seeing large developments being built delivering thousands of much-needed … homes but there is little effort being put into planning good quality affordable childcare facilities to meet the needs of families. Those childcare facilities that are being built are not fit for purpose. They are not viable and the costs are way too high. Purpose-built childcare facilities

House. That is a great testament to everybody who has stayed here to contribute to the debate and be part of the debate. Childcare is one of the biggest issues that hits us at the doorsteps, certainly at the last general election. As my colleague just said … listening to people who said with great hope that childcare would be €200. Those people feel extremely let-down and disappointed with this Government and duped by this Government, to say the least. That needs to be on the record of the House. I respect the spirit behind

actually happy. I listened to people from Independent Ireland just before they exited the Chamber listing villages where, allegedly, closures of childcare facilities have happened in the past while. I think one was actually accurate. The rest of the villages were just thrown into the debate because … shortfall of places because there are. Trust me: I have been that parent with three kids under five looking for childcare and it is incredibly difficult living in an area like Glanmire, which is suburban. There are lots of young families. Glanmire is the only village that

undermine them just for the sake of chasing other people for votes and for popularity. In respect of childcare, the Government is very involved in childcare and the State is very involved in childcare in a variety of ways in terms of subsidies, in terms of frozen fees … terms of investment, capital investment in private and community childcare as well as yesterday announcing a new State childcare capital investment programme which will significantly increase childcare places over the coming years. We understand the pressures that households and families are under in respect to access to childcare

There is not a week that goes by that I am not contacted by a parent seeking access to childcare. On Monday, 1,500 new childcare places were announced nationally, funded under the national development plan's building blocks extension grant scheme. These places, at a cost … places are a drop in the ocean. The programme for Government commits to providing capital investment to build or purchase State-owned childcare facilities. To do that at scale and to achieve value for money, I believe we need a new State building scheme specifically for childcare, something

Minister and the Department of Justice on that. The payment has been extended to 2026. I again raise the matter of the national childcare scheme website. I previously raised it as a priority question. As the Minister knows, the website does not list fees for childcare providers … people in public life, as I am sure it is for the Minister and her office. I note and welcome the increase in childcare expenditure, which is now combined for early learning and care. The school-age childcare division in the Department has €1.39 billion. However, UNICEF

thank Deputy Kerrane and her colleagues in Sinn Féin for proposing this motion. We have had many conversations about childcare in recent months since I have been the spokesperson for childcare but, more importantly, since my time as a parent to three young children. I have been really … interested in the similarities that face the early years education and childcare sector with the healthcare sector and the transformation we have seen in that sector in recent years. In the last couple of months I have met many key stakeholders in the sector including service providers, workers

Throughout this debate, not one person has argued that we do not need high-quality, accessible and affordable childcare. Everyone, including the Minister of State, agrees that we need it and need it now. The question is not one of need; the question is whether it is possible … deliver nationwide, high-quality, affordable childcare for every family overnight. If we are all honest here, the answer would be "No", unfortunately. That is why in our programme for Government, Fianna Fáil has committed to progressively reducing childcare costs to a maximum €200 per child per month over

opening remarks, this Act has been amended a number of times and it extends over a number of key areas like childcare, foster care, residential care and child protection. I wish to address a number of these areas in the time available to me. The Minister mentioned … young people. That would reduce the need to rely so heavily on private care, as the Government is doing at the moment. On childcare, I want to raise the issue of the continual deficiencies in the early years education and school age childcare system. We have

Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the estimated percentage and number of parents currently availing of early learning and childcare services who will not benefit from the recently announced €550 monthly childcare fee cap, particularly families whose existing fees exceed this amount due to accessing … more than 40 hours of childcare per week and those required to pay for 52 weeks of childcare annually rather than 48 weeks; and whether an assessment has been undertaken of the impact of these arrangements on the affordability of childcare for working families. [73437/26

Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the supports that are available to a childcare facility in a rural village that must find a more appropriate or purpose built facility to continue providing a childcare service in the area; the supports that are available … ensure this facility does not close; the supports that will be available to parents seeking childcare in the area when all childcare facilities in the wider area are full; if her Department will work with the community to ensure the continuance of the childcare facility

Deputy Paul Nicholas Gogarty asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if consideration is being given to extending the revised childcare fee cap, or introducing alternative cost-reduction measures, for families using childcare services operating within Band F (50+ hours per week); if she is aware … concerns that many childcare providers in areas such as Lucan operate exclusively within Band F and that families continue to face high costs and difficulty securing childcare places. [74686/26

Equality whether consideration will be given to providing flexibility or an exemption to parents with fixed shared-care arrangements under the National Childcare Scheme, so that children alternating between households can attend different childcare providers and retain their childcare place during periods of non-attendance, to ensure that … eligible families can effectively avail of their National Childcare Scheme. [69185/26

Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality her plans to review the early withdrawal provisions of the national childcare subsidy scheme with the objective of eliminating the subsidy penalty imposed on families who withdraw their children early; if her Department will conduct a consultation … with childcare providers to understand the actual fee structures and charging practices used in the Irish childcare market, and realign the subsidy system accordingly; to consider alternative approaches that account for the fixed-fee, full-time charging model that dominates Irish childcare; and if she will make

Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her attention has been drawn to a childcare provider (details supplied) who have recently announced that they will be withdrawing from the core funding scheme; if her Department have been in touch with the childcare … provider; if she will consider meeting with the childcare provider to discuss alternative arrangements; to outline what steps she will take to expand childcare provision in Dublin 13; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25638/26

Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the measures in place to stop childcare providers from withdrawing from core funding, the reason there are no emergency measures to support families impacted by provider withdrawal; whether the national childcare scheme will be revised to reflect … actual market cost of childcare; the progress on a public childcare model that would offer greater stability; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44838/25

Deputy Paul Nicholas Gogarty asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will clarify whether the €550 monthly childcare fee cap announced in Budget 2027 applies solely to childcare services operating within Band E (40-49.9 hours per week) under the core funding scheme … will provide details of the number of childcare providers operating within Bands E and F, respectively. [74685/26

Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the precise participation rate of early learning and childcare services for the 2026-2027 Core Funding programme year; the number of early learning and childcare services that withdrew from Core Funding ahead of the current programme year … number of early learning and childcare services that joined Core Funding for the current programme year. [73838/26

Deputy Charles Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the policy measures in place to ensure that childcare capacity is maintained within communities where an existing early learning and childcare facility is affected by defective concrete; and the supports available to prevent the permanent loss … childcare places in such areas. [69739/26

number of households in which no adult is in employment that are availing of more than 20-hours-per-week of publicly subsidised childcare under the national childcare scheme or any other State-supported childcare programme; and the corresponding figure in each year from 2020 to date. [70429/26

Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the assessment undertaken of childcare capacity in Galway East; the measures being taken to create additional childcare places in rapidly growing communities; and if consideration is being given to targeted supports for childcare providers operating in rural

Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to provide the latest update on the Programme for Government commitment to progressively reduce the cost of childcare to €200 per month per child through the national childcare scheme; and the way in which she intends to address the issue of afterschool … childcare places. [65804/26

Deputy Paula Butterly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the reason a childcare service in Dundalk, County Louth (details supplied) that is willing to expand its capacity was excluded from the relevant childcare expansion scheme, particularly given the high demand for childcare places in the area

Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether her Department has undertaken any assessment of the number of families whose childcare provider is not participating in the core funding scheme and who therefore do not benefit from recent reductions in childcare fees; whether the impact … this on affordability and access to childcare has been assessed, including in rapidly growing areas such as North Dublin; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52136/26

Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to urgently address the shortage of childcare places, address pay and conditions of childcare employees, provide additional staff and childcare centres across County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50281/26

Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of childcare places in County Waterford in each year since 2020, according to information available to her Department; the number of children aged under five years residing in the county in each of those … years; the resulting number of childcare places per 100 children aged under five years; if her Department has assessed the adequacy of childcare capacity in County Waterford; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49786/26

Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the steps her Department is taking to engage with childcare providers on the impact of the core funding levels; if her Department can engage with a specific childcare provider (details supplied) on their concerns … measures being considered to prevent childcare facilities leaving core funding; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47909/26

Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the steps her Department is taking to engage with childcare providers on the impact of the core funding levels; if her Department can engage with a specific childcare provider (details supplied) on their concerns … measures being considered to prevent childcare facilities leaving core funding; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47910/26

asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether she is aware of the exclusion of certain rural families from accessing the national childcare scheme (NCS) where no NCS-participating childcare provider is practically available in their locality; whether consideration is being given to introducing a mechanism, including … families who have no feasible access to an NCS-participating providers due to geographical and logistical constraints, and rely on verifiable, ongoing childcare arrangements such as registered and insured childminders; to demonstrate that their exclusion from the NCS arises from rural access limitations rather than personal choice

Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of childcare places currently available in County Kerry, broken down by childcare setting and age category; the number of children currently on waiting lists for childcare places in the county; and if she will

Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether optimal level of community childcare targets are set; the specific plans to develop more community childcare in each specific county childcare committee; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36974/26

Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the steps her Department is taking to improve access to the national childcare scheme for children at risk of poverty who had more access to childcare under the former community childcare subvention scheme; and if she will

Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the average processing time for sponsored childcare referrals under the national childcare scheme; the steps being taken to address significant delays reported by community childcare providers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37006/26

Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the engagement her Department has had with childcare providers regarding the availability of part-time or flexible places under the national childcare scheme; whether supports or incentives are available to encourage providers to offer more flexible childcare