Childcare Services

431. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she recognises the financial pressure faced by families with multiple children in childcare where reduced hours of care lead to higher overall costs under the national childcare scheme; whether changes are planned to ensure the scheme supports affordability; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33571/2…

432. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether her Department has received representations from families in north County Dublin regarding the lack of flexible childcare options under the national childcare scheme; the policy or operational changes planned to address these concerns; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33572/26]

736. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the current part-time, sessional, or school-age childcare providers and full day childcare, both community and private in Dublin west, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31970/26]

758. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the total annual expenditure by Tusla on private childcare placements for each year from 2020 to 2026, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32432/26]

759. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children placed in private childcare placements funded by Tusla in each year from 2020 to 2026; and the proportion this represents of all children in State-funded care. [32433/26]

760. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the average annual cost per child of private childcare placements funded by Tusla, and the comparative average cost per child in public or directly provided placements, for each year since 2020; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32434/26]

761. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether her Department has conducted or commissioned any comparative cost analysis between private and public childcare placements since 2020; if so, to provide details and findings; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32435/26]

762. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality what governance framework is in place within her Department to oversee expenditure by Tusla on private childcare placements; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32436/26]

763. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether her Department requires Tusla to report on value-for-money, cost drivers, or financial performance in respect of private childcare placements; if so, the frequency and format of such reporting; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32437/26]

764. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether private childcare placements funded by Tusla are explicitly identified as a financial or governance risk within Departmental or Tusla risk registers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32438/26]

765. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality what mechanisms are in place to ensure that rates paid to private providers represent value for money over the lifetime of a placement, beyond the initial procurement or tendering process; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32439/26]

766. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether she has requested, or intends to request, that the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General undertake an examination of the cost-effectiveness or value-for-money of private childcare placements funded by Tusla; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32440/26]

767. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether any internal or external review, evaluation, or audit of outcomes, cost-effectiveness, or long-term value of private childcare placements is planned; and if so, the timeline and scope; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32441/26]

804. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the average waiting time for Garda vetting applications for new hires in childcare facilities in County Cork in each of the past three years; the steps being taken to reduce these waiting times; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33046/26]

805. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of expressions of interest received by her Department in respect of State-led childcare facilities in County Cork; the locations from which such expressions of interest have been received; the timeline for delivery of the first State-led childcare facilities in Cork; and if she will make a statement …

912. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the position regarding payments under the national childcare scheme; if there is any flexibility in terms of back payments for parents that missed a registration deadline or registered late for any reason; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29582/26]

950. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the actual full year cost incurred in 2025 arising from the increase in the universal hourly subsidy under the national childcare scheme from €1.40 to €2.14; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30458/26]

952. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the estimated full year cost, based on current numbers, of increasing the universal hourly subsidy under the national childcare scheme by €1, bringing it to €3.14 per hour for a maximum of 45 hours per week; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30460/26]

953. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the estimated full year cost, based on current numbers, of increasing the universal hourly subsidy under the national childcare scheme by €2, bringing it to €4.14 per hour for a maximum of 45 hours per week; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30461/26]

954. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of expressions of interest received by her Department in respect of State-led childcare facilities; the locations from which such expressions of interest have been received, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30462/26]

955. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to provide a full list of all registered providers of early years and school age childcare services operating three or more services; the number of services registered to each provider, the type of service provided and whether each service is privately or community operated, in tabular form; and if she will mak…

966. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will make a statement on precisely the roadmap for reducing early years fees to €200; if she will detail the engagement she has undertaken and will take with providers and trade unions in respect of same; and if she will make a statement on her plans to ensure that there is adequate buy-in from the sector to fa…

968. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether her Department holds, or plans to develop, disaggregated early learning and care capacity and demand data at Galway city level rather than county level, particularly in respect of children under two years of age; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30664/26]

977. Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the targeted recruitment campaigns or incentives that are being done to encourage people into early years education (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30891/26]

979. Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she is looking at expanding training and introducing upskilling programmes to grow the workforce (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30893/26]