Childcare Services

442. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children, by county, who benefited from supports under the national childcare scheme in each of the years 2023, 2024, 2025, and 2026, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54502/26]

443. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of State-led Early Learning and Childcare Capital Programme projects that are proposed for Fingal; the location of each proposed project; the current status of each project; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54366/26]

444. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether any sites in Fingal have been identified, approved in principle or progressed under the State-led Early Learning and Childcare Capital Programme; if she will provide details of each site; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54367/26]

445. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether services delivered under the State-led Early Learning and Childcare Capital Programme will be operated exclusively by not-for-profit providers; and whether any private for-profit providers will be eligible to operate State-owned facilities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54368/26]

446. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the way in which operators for State-led early learning and childcare services will be selected; whether there will be an open competitive process; the governance, financial, quality and operational criteria that will apply; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54369/26]

447. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of operators to date, that have been selected or approved under the State-led Early Learning and Childcare Capital Programme; the name of each operator and the associated project; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54370/26]

448. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the criteria used by her Department to select sites for investment under the State-led Early Learning and Childcare Capital Programme; the weighting given to unmet demand, deprivation, rurality, accessibility, value-for-money and project readiness; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54371/26]

449. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of projects that have been approved in principle nationally under the State-led Early Learning and Childcare Capital Programme; the number of persons that remain under assessment, by county and project; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54372/26]

450. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether her Department plans to publish the Forward Planning Model, appraisal methodology and scoring framework used to identify and prioritise projects under the State-led Early Learning and Childcare Capital Programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54373/26]

451. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether expressions of interest have been sought from prospective operators for any State-led childcare projects in Fingal; if so, the number of expressions of interest that were received; the number of these that were assessed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54374/26]

452. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the measures in place to ensure transparency in the selection of both sites and operators under the State-led Early Learning and Childcare Capital Programme; whether the scoring and evaluation of applications will be published; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54375/26]

469. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the measures that will be implemented to increase childcare capacity in areas such as Cavan town where parents are experiencing difficulty in children getting placements; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54689/26]

346. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the impact of recent fee caps and affordability measures on childcare costs for parents; the estimated average saving per family; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53767/26]

347. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of childcare providers in Cork city and county that have increased fees, reduced services or changed opening hours in each of the years 2022 to 2025 and to date in 2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53768/26]

348. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of childminders registered or engaged with the National Action Plan for Childminding in Cork city and county; the steps being taken to increase the number of regulated childminding places; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53769/26]

350. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of childcare services in Cork city and county currently operating at full capacity; the number with waiting lists; the number with vacancies; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53771/26]

351. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the projected demand for childcare places in Cork city and county over the next five years; the planned increase in supply to meet that demand; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53772/26]

357. Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will provide an update on a matter (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53869/26]

360. Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she is aware of the disparity whereby childcare providers operating on school grounds may be exempt from commercial rates, while providers delivering the same ECCE, NCS and afterschool services from independent premises are liable; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54241/26]

361. Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her Department has assessed the impact of commercial rates on the financial sustainability of private childcare providers, particularly those whose income is largely derived from State-funded childcare schemes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54242/26]

362. Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she has engaged with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage or Tailte Éireann regarding the treatment of private childcare providers under the commercial rates system; and if she will outline the cross-departmental work underway to ensure equitable treatment of providers. [54243/26]

363. Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will consider supporting legislative or regulatory changes to ensure that private childcare providers delivering ECCE, NCS and afterschool services are not disproportionately burdened by commercial rates; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54244/26]

668. 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 supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53043/26]

676. Deputy Daniel Ennis asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will provide an update on the number of childminders registered with Tusla to date since the implementation of the new childminding regulation in 2024; and to provide a breakdown of that uptake, per month, in tabular form. [53084/26]

185. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the key measures taken to improve childcare and early learning services since January 2025; her priorities for same for the rest of 2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51935/26]