Childcare Services

1018. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether Tusla has identified any risks associated with market concentration or dependency on a small number of private residential childcare providers. [39869/26]

1023. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her attention has been drawn to childcare capacity shortages in Causeway, County Kerry; the measures being taken to increase childcare places in the area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39952/26]

1024. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the supports available to childcare providers in County Kerry experiencing staffing shortages; the measures being taken to improve recruitment and retention in the sector; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39953/26]

1025. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the measures being taken to support parents unable to return to work due to a lack of childcare places; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39954/26]

1027. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to outline the progress, the plan and the timescale for reducing costs for childcare for parents; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39958/26]

1043. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of childcare providers that are part of the core funding scheme, broken down by local authority area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40128/26]

1044. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of childcare providers that are part of the core funding scheme, broken down by county; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40129/26]

1045. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of childcare providers that have exited the core funding model, broken down by local authority area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40130/26]

1046. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality in relation to the 7% of childcare providers that are not part of the core funding model, if they are categorised as being predominantly in urban or rural areas; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40131/26]

1047. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality in relation to the 7% of childcare providers that are not part of the core funding model, the number of those providers that had previously been part of the scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40132/26]

1048. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality in relation to any childcare provider that has left the core funding model, if the basis for their leaving is categorised; if so, if there is a commonality as to the reason many centres are leaving the scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40134/26]

1069. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the status of the childminding registration system; the number of childminders registered to date nationally and in County Clare; if she will address concerns that compliance burdens are driving providers away from the sector; if she will consider pausing the mandatory 2027 registration deadline to allow for a pract…

1086. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality further to Question No. 927 of 19 May 2026, if any assistance is available to the parent of the vulnerable child (details supplied) to obtain an available childcare placement given all options have been exhausted at this point, including contact with the local CCC and exploring the option of childminders with no suc…

313. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if creches can refuse children who are included in the vulnerable child sponsorship scheme; the options available to parents who are refused a placement under this scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38493/26]

320. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she is aware of the impact of repeated childcare room closures in County Meath (details supplied); and the actions her Department is taking to address staffing retention, accountability, and childcare provision in growing commuter towns throughout Ireland. [38691/26]

220. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will provide a ranking of local electoral areas showing where childcare unmet demand is highest; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38031/26]

843. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if childcare providers in receipt of core funding are obliged under their funding agreement to maintain continuity of services for enrolled families; the obligations that exist where a provider changes the age cohorts it caters for, resulting in families losing access to childcare services; and if she will make …

858. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the role the local city and county council's and the community childcare committees have in providing local community childcare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36973/26]

859. 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]

860. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her Department will mandate that local city and county councils prioritise tenders from community groups over private providers for community childcare in publicly owned facilities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36975/26]

861. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will mandate city and county councils to identify land and premises that would be suitable for community childcare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36976/26]

862. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the interaction that takes place between county childcare committees and city and county councils to provide community childcare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36977/26]

863. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of early years education settings and childcare settings that have pulled out of CORE funding for each Dublin community childcare catchment area, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36978/26]

864. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the steps she is taking to poverty proof the national childcare scheme (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37000/26]

865. 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 make a statement on the matter. [37001/26]