Childcare Services

186. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the key measures taken to improve employment conditions in the childcare and early learning services since January 2025; her priorities for same for the rest of 2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51936/26]

191. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the membership of the National Fee Review Team; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52002/26]

193. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she is aware of a case (details supplied); and if she will engage with the families affected to ensure childcare costs are affordable. [52122/26]

194. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether her Department has undertaken any assessment of the number of families whose childcare provider is not participating in the core funding scheme and who therefore do not benefit from recent reductions in childcare fees; whether the impact of this on affordability and access to childcare has been assessed, in…

195. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether her Department is considering changes to the core funding scheme to facilitate the participation of childcare providers that previously withdrew due to concerns regarding fee caps and the financial sustainability of the scheme; whether measures are under consideration to ensure that parents attending such s…

636. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the measures her Department are taking to ensure that no childcare provider will be adversely affected by a possible reduction in childcare fees; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50973/26]

637. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the steps being taken to ensure that AIM Level 7 applications are determined before the commencement of the ECCE year, given the need for early years providers to recruit and Garda vet additional staff in advance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50995/26]

640. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to provide an update on the proposed establishment of a dedicated childcare agency; the current status of the proposal; the progress made to date; the expected timeline for its establishment; the functions and responsibilities the agency will have; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51107/26]

641. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the breakdown of the current funding streams in childcare; the breakdown of the additional funding provided in Budget 2026, in tabular form; the expected funding required in 2027 to maintain existing levels of service; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51149/26]

651. Deputy Daniel Ennis asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of people working as childminders in Ireland at present; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51225/26]

652. Deputy Daniel Ennis asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of childminders who have registered with Tusla under the new regulations for childminders; the figure as a percentage of the number of childminders operating in Ireland; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51226/26]

653. Deputy Daniel Ennis asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of childminders who have completed a pre-registration course via their local childcare committees; the figure as a percentage of the number of childminders operating in Ireland; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51227/26]

656. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the estimated full-year cost of increasing childcare subsidies to 100% of fees paid by parents availing of childcare subsidies; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51335/26]

658. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the total annual cost of wages for childcare workers; the number of childcare workers that are in receipt of Government support; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51337/26]

659. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children on waiting lists for public childcare places; the total cost of eliminating childcare waiting lists; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51338/26]

663. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the governance arrangements relating to the board of a childcare committee (details supplied). [51459/26]

676. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether core funding is paid for childcare capacity that is frequently though non-consecutively unavailable due to room closures; if her Department monitors cumulative room closures across a programme year; the safeguards in place to ensure that public funds are protected where services are unable to deliver their fu…

677. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether governance arrangements within city and county childcare committees would prevent a chairperson from simultaneously holding a senior management position with a childcare provider, and whether this would represent a conflict of interest; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51652/26]

679. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will confirm whether providers who have left core funding (details supplied) will be penalised; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51654/26]

683. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 28 of 23 June 2026, if she will provide a list of the potential projects and their locations, and the names of those who have proposed these projects including those from the local city and county childcare committees. [51828/26]

684. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 28 of 23 June 2026, if she will confirm whether proposals from private operators are being considered to run State-led childcare facilities given a recent new report (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51829/26]

685. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 740 of 30 June 2026, if she will provide a list of the 27 providers who have been found to be in breach of core funding management rules and a list of the 18 providers currently under active fee reviews; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51830/26]

686. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to outline the actions her Department takes in response to providers who are found to be in breach of core funding management rules; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51831/26]

687. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of applications that have been received for support under the Sustainability Fund within her Department in each of the years since it was introduced; the number in each year approved; and the associated monetary amount paid to each provider. [51887/26]

691. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether her Department has engaged, or intends to engage, with An Post regarding the future of the former delivery service unit on Griffith Avenue, Dublin 9; whether consideration has been given to the site for childcare, disability or family support services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51894/26]