Topics / Childcare Services

A subject heading for parliamentary questions

Childcare 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
MonthQuestions
January 202511
February 202562
March 202543
April 202571
May 202535
June 202570
July 202593
August 20250
September 202587
October 202541
November 2025155
December 202574
January 202671
February 202676
March 202655
April 202678
May 2026107
June 2026144
July 202664
August 20260
September 202638
October 202663

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.

  • 100% RDR2 from 1 TD · 1 seat today
  • Aontú18 from 2 TDs · 2 seats today
  • Fianna Fáil284 from 33 TDs · 48 seats today
  • Fine Gael467 from 20 TDs · 38 seats today
  • Green Party11 from 1 TD · 1 seat today
  • Independent64 from 9 TDs · 15 seats today
  • Independent Ireland43 from 2 TDs · 4 seats today
  • Labour Party152 from 11 TDs · 11 seats today
  • People Before Profit-Solidarity40 from 3 TDs · 3 seats today
  • Sinn Féin267 from 31 TDs · 39 seats today

The TDs who asked most

Members of the Government answer questions rather than ask them. Each question counts once.

  1. 130
  2. 88
  3. 70
  4. 69
  5. 47
  6. 40
  7. 36
  8. 33

Asked of

Debated under the same heading

Debates whose official heading is exactly these words.

The questions

Ken O'Flynn Written 26 May 2026 · to Children
1012. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether she will provide the ten private residential childcare placement providers that received the highest level of Tusla expenditure in 2024, together with the total amount paid to each provider. [39863/26]
Ken O'Flynn Written 26 May 2026 · to Children
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]
Pa Daly Written 26 May 2026 · to Children
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]
Pa Daly Written 26 May 2026 · to Children
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]
Pa Daly Written 26 May 2026 · to Children
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]
Sean Fleming Written 26 May 2026 · to Children
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]
Barry Ward Written 26 May 2026 · to Children
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]
Barry Ward Written 26 May 2026 · to Children
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]
Barry Ward Written 26 May 2026 · to Children
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]
Barry Ward Written 26 May 2026 · to Children
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]
Barry Ward Written 26 May 2026 · to Children
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]
Barry Ward Written 26 May 2026 · to Children
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]
Cathal Crowe Written 26 May 2026 · to Children
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 practical review; and if …
Eoin Ó Broin Written 26 May 2026 · to Children
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 success; and if she wil…
Mark Ward Written 21 May 2026 · to Children
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]
Mark Wall Written 21 May 2026 · to Children
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]
Emer Currie Written 20 May 2026 · to Children
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]
Jennifer Whitmore Written 19 May 2026 · to Children
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 a statement on the m…
Grace Boland Written 19 May 2026 · to Children
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]
Grace Boland Written 19 May 2026 · to Children
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]
Grace Boland Written 19 May 2026 · to Children
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]
Grace Boland Written 19 May 2026 · to Children
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]
Grace Boland Written 19 May 2026 · to Children
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]
Grace Boland Written 19 May 2026 · to Children
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]
Grace Boland Written 19 May 2026 · to Children
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]