Childcare Services

195. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the engagement she has had with childcare providers who have expressed concerns in relation to core funding; if her Department has engaged with a provider (details supplied) who has recently advised parents that they are leaving core funding; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35564/26]

196. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will provide a list of all capital projects, including early years, childcare and disability infrastructure projects, delivered under the remit of her Department, and bodies under its aegis, which have been completed on time and within budget in Galway in each of the past five years, in tabular form; and if she…

197. Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for an update on the Employment Regulation Order process for the Early Years and School Age Care sector, which appears to have experienced delays; to outline when the Minister expects the process to conclude; and to advise the actions that are being taken to ensure timely progress, given the importance of the ERO t…

201. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her Department is aware of a potential available community space at a location (details supplied) for after school childcare; whether her Department has investigated its potential use as a space to help with the lack of after school services in the area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35761/26]

963. Deputy Johnny Guirke asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the timeframe for the Government moving towards the target of €200 per month for childcare costs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34471/26]

971. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the way in which her Department plans to tackle the issue of children attending childcare facilities on a part-time basis (details supplied) and are charged full time rates and as a result are paying more in childcare fees than those attending full-time; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34499/26]

973. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the position regarding any support mechanisms in place to support families whose childcare facilities have withdrawn from the core funding model, specifically in relation to the knock-on price increase for childcare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34679/26]

974. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her attention has been drawn to the withdrawal of a childcare facility from the core funding model (details supplied); the actions she will take to support parents with the knock-on price increase; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34680/26]

975. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the position regarding any engagement that her Department has had with the management of a childcare facility (details supplied) prior to their withdrawal from the core funding model; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34681/26]

976. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the position regarding any engagement that her Department has had with the management of a childcare facility (details supplied) since their withdrawal from the core funding model with a view to continuing their participation in this scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34682/26]

977. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the position regarding the number of childcare centres that have withdrawn from the core-funding model for each year since it was initiated; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34683/26]

978. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the position regarding the mediation mechanisms in place for childcare providers that are considering withdrawing from the core funding model; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34684/26]

979. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if the core funding model for childcare is under review to reflect the number of childcare centres withdrawing from the model; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34685/26]

980. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the position regarding any mechanism in place that seeks to bring childcare facilities that have left the core funding model back into this scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34686/26]

981. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the position regarding any mechanism in place that seeks to bring childcare facilities that have never signed up to the core funding model into this scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34687/26]

990. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether she considers it fair or reasonable that under the current Core Funding banding system, a childcare service falling marginally into a higher band (for example, by a matter of minutes) results in parents being charged significantly higher weekly fees, despite no additional childcare being provided; and if she…

991. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will provide a direct response on whether she believes it is equitable that families can face substantial additional costs (in excess of €50 per week) due solely to an arbitrary banding cut off in contracted hours, rather than actual childcare provision; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34942/…

992. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of childcare providers currently classified within each Core Funding band; the number of families impacted by band threshold differences; and whether her Department has conducted any assessment of the financial impact on families whose childcare hours fall just above a band cutoff. [34943/26]

993. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether any review has been undertaken of the Core Funding banding system to identify potential cliff-edge effects at band thresholds; and if she will consider introducing a tapered or pro-rata system to prevent significant cost increases arising from minimal differences in hours. [34944/26]

994. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her Department has examined cases where a difference of minutes in weekly childcare hours results in substantially higher fees (for example, approximately €59 per week), amounting to over €1,000 annually for families; and whether she considers this an unintended flaw in the scheme design. [34945/26]

995. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether she considers the outcome whereby parents are charged significantly more due to marginal differences in contracted childcare hours to be fair; and to outline any steps she will take to address such issues. [34946/26]

997. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her attention has been drawn to the lack of childcare services currently available in the Clifden area, County Galway; if she has considered the potential of establishing a community crèche in the Clifden area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35034/26]

998. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to examine the poll by child care providers (details supplied) and answer the concerns raised; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35058/26]

429. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the consideration that has been given to introducing greater flexibility within the national childcare scheme for families with part-time, reduced or variable working hours; whether any review is underway to ensure that NCS subsidies better reflect modern working patterns; and if she will make a statement on the matt…

430. 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 arrangements; and if she will make a statement on the matt…