170. Deputy Tom Brabazon asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her Department is aware of concerns of childcare providers and parents over the core funding system and the fee structure of the scheme; and the actions her Department is taking to address these concerns. [46057/26]
Topics / Childcare Services
A subject heading for parliamentary questionsChildcare Services
1,438 questions from 125 TDs, between 22 January 2025 and 22 October 2026.
1,438
questions
1,397 written, 41 oral
125
TDs have asked
11
parties and groups
Independents counted together
8
departments asked
Questions per month
The record holds no questions for August, when the Dáil does not sit.
Jan 2025Oct 2026
Show as a table
| Month | Questions |
|---|---|
| January 2025 | 11 |
| February 2025 | 62 |
| March 2025 | 43 |
| April 2025 | 71 |
| May 2025 | 35 |
| June 2025 | 70 |
| July 2025 | 93 |
| August 2025 | 0 |
| September 2025 | 87 |
| October 2025 | 41 |
| November 2025 | 155 |
| December 2025 | 74 |
| January 2026 | 71 |
| February 2026 | 76 |
| March 2026 | 55 |
| April 2026 | 78 |
| May 2026 | 107 |
| June 2026 | 144 |
| July 2026 | 64 |
| August 2026 | 0 |
| September 2026 | 38 |
| October 2026 | 63 |
Who asks, by party
The party each TD belonged to on the day, in alphabetical order. Parties differ a lot in size, and members of the Government answer questions rather than ask them, so this shows who raised it, not how much a party cares about it.
The TDs who asked most
Members of the Government answer questions rather than ask them. Each question counts once.
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130
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88
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70
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69
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47
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40
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36
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33
Asked of
Debated under the same heading
Debates whose official heading is exactly these words.
The questions
171. 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 to ensure this facility does not close; the supports that will be available to parents seeking childcare in the ar…
603. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if consideration is given to appropriate childcare infrastructure when new residential developments are being built; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45950/26]
765. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her attention has been drawn to continual room closures at a childcare facility in Dublin south-west (details supplied) since it was acquired by a new provider; the steps she is taking to address issues around pay and recruitment and retention issues affecting the sector; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44897/26]
766. Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality her plans to address the shortage of childcare places in Harold's Cross and surrounding areas. [44900/26]
768. Deputy Aisling Dempsey asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will impose restrictions under core funding on the maximum deposit amount a childcare provider can charge; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44939/26]
769. Deputy Aisling Dempsey asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will amend the core funding rule to only allow childcare providers without waiting lists retain the deposits of families who choose not to take the place provided for their children; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44940/26]
770. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 1087 of 26 May 2026, her views on the upcoming evaluation of the national childcare scheme; specifically; the scope of review due to be taken in respect of the matters raised; and the level of public consultation that will take place in respect of same. [45005/26]
772. Deputy Eoin Hayes asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the estimated first year and full-year cost of increasing the affordable childcare subsidy for children under three years of age by €1 per hour; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45046/26]
780. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the actions are being taken to address difficulties in securing childcare places under the NCS sponsorship scheme; if funding levels have been reviewed; whether incentives for providers to accept sponsored children are being considered; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45226/26]
782. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to provide an update on the Programme for Government commitment to expand the provision for newborns and their parents of a Baby Bundle; to confirm if a cost review has been carried out; and if there are plans to roll-out an expanded version of the scheme nationwide; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45272/26]
799. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to urgently provide childcare facilities for children with special needs in County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45579/26]
802. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality her plans to extend the national childcare scheme for childminding in the childminder's home and childminding in the family home; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45826/26]
805. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of childminders who are now fully registered to date in 2026, by county. [45829/26]
811. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether Tusla has produced a business case, implementation plan, capacity model, workforce plan or other strategic document setting out how dependency on private residential childcare placements will be reduced; whether such documents contain annual milestones for the period 2026 to 2030; and if she will make a statement on the matter. […
820. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to address the shortage of afterschool childcare places in north Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45956/26]
275. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children in Longford-Westmeath who are currently without an available childcare place; the number of children on waiting lists for crèche, preschool and early years services in each county; the number of childcare places currently available; the number of additional places projected to be delivered over the next five years…
276. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the alternative models of funding available for childcare providers/creches that have pulled out of core funding, resulting in significantly increased childcare fees for parents; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44681/26]
277. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the alternative models of funding available for childcare providers/creches that have pulled out of core funding, resulting in significantly increased childcare fees for parents and whereby there are no other affordable providers available within a given locality. [44682/26]
278. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether an assessment has been carried out of childcare capacity in rapidly growing communities such as Donaghmede, Clongriffin and Belmayne; the current and projected demand for childcare places in these areas; the measures being taken to increase capacity where shortages have been identified; and if she will make a statement on the …
280. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of childcare providers, by those in and outside of core funding for each of the years 2022 to 2025 and to date in 2026, in tabular form. [44833/26]
281. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of childcare providers, by those in and outside of core funding, by their service category such as ECCE-only, sessional, part-time and full-time, for each of the years 2022 to 2025 and to date in 2026, in tabular form. [44834/26]
282. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the total number of childcare providers, by those in and outside of core funding for each of the years 2022 to 2025 and to date in 2026, by local authority area, in tabular form. [44835/26]
202. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of childcare providers that have closed in each of the past three years, by county; the reasons identified for such closures; and the measures being taken to ensure adequate childcare capacity is maintained. [44227/26]
207. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the maximum childcare fee caps recently announced by her Department for parents with one child in full time five-day care, current monthly fee €1350 less NCS €385.20 applicable to parents from next September whose children attend a school (details supplied); the amount by which the fees will reduce; and if she will make a statement on t…