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

Cathal Crowe Written 19 Feb 2026 · to Children
125. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will consider purchasing a building (details supplied) for the purposes of establishing a community childcare facility; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13329/26]
Noel McCarthy Written 19 Feb 2026 · to Children
129. Deputy Noel McCarthy asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the efforts being made to increase the provision of childcare services in Cork East; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13378/26]
Mark Wall Written 19 Feb 2026 · to Children
130. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will provide an interim report on her Department’s research on a national childcare agency. [13269/26]
Shane Moynihan Written 19 Feb 2026 · to Children
131. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality when she expects premises and projects for investment to be identified as part of the move to State acquisition of buildings to provide childcare services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12390/26]
Mairéad Farrell Written 19 Feb 2026 · to Children
133. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will provide an update on the provision of affordable childcare across Galway; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13317/26]
Mark Wall Written 19 Feb 2026 · to Children
134. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the total amount of money spent to date by her Department on researching and developing a national childcare agency; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13268/26]
Naoise Ó Muirí Written 19 Feb 2026 · to Children
136. Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will outline the funding allocated for childminding development grants; the number of applicants who will be supported; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13363/26]
Edward Timmins Written 19 Feb 2026 · to Children
138. Deputy Edward Timmins asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if a schedule has been set to reach the planned €200 per month maximum childcare cost as set out in the programme for Government; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13372/26]
James Geoghegan Written 19 Feb 2026 · to Children
139. Deputy James Geoghegan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will provide an update on the number of childminders, registered under the relevant childminding regulations, providing services from the childminders’ home; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13321/26]
Pádraig O'Sullivan Written 19 Feb 2026 · to Children
141. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will address the growing crisis of 'childcare deserts', and the 40,000-long waiting list for children under three; if she will commit to a definitive date for introducing pay parity between early years graduates and primary school teachers to stem the exodus of qualified staff, which is currently preventing the opening of 1…
Claire Kerrane Written 19 Feb 2026 · to Children
144. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality when the regulations for childminders will be reviewed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13217/26]
Maeve O'Connell Written 19 Feb 2026 · to Children
145. Deputy Maeve O'Connell asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for an update on the work of her Department in encouraging childcare providers to engage in core funding. [12770/26]
Grace Boland Written 19 Feb 2026 · to Children
149. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the specific steps she is taking to deliver additional not for profit childcare places in the Balbriggan, Skerries, Rush and Lusk area; the capital and current funding streams available for this purpose in 2026; the projects currently approved or under assessment in these areas; the expected timelines for delivery; and if she will make …
Colm Burke Written 19 Feb 2026 · to Children
152. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality her plans to reduce the cost of childcare to €200 per month per child through the national childcare scheme; if she will consider options to cap costs for larger families, as per the Programme for Government; the timeline for this reduction; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12905/26]
Paul Lawless Written 19 Feb 2026 · to Children
154. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of childcare providers that have closed in County Mayo in each of the past ten years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12184/26]
Seán Ó Fearghaíl Written 19 Feb 2026 · to Children
160. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl den Minister for Children, Disability and Equality an bhfuil sí ar an eolas faoi na deacrachtaí a bhaineann le hearcú foirne do chúram leanaí agus naíonraí sa Ghaeltacht; cad iad na hiarrachtaí atá ar siúl chun a chinntiú go bhfuil daoine ar fáil [13020/26]
Roderic O'Gorman Written 19 Feb 2026 · to Children
162. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for an update on the delivery of the public model of childcare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13305/26]
Mairéad Farrell Written 19 Feb 2026 · to Children
165. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will provide an update on the provision of childcare services across Connemara; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13318/26]
Cathal Crowe Written 19 Feb 2026 · to Children
167. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will consider purchasing a building (details supplied) for the purposes of establishing a community childcare facility; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13328/26]
Willie O'Dea Written 19 Feb 2026 · to Children
168. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Willie O'Dea den Minister for Children, Disability and Equality an bhfuil sí ar an eolas faoi na deacrachtaí a bhaineann le hearcú foirne do chúram leanaí agus naíonraí sa Ghaeltacht; cad iad na hiarrachtaí atá ar siúl chun a chinntiú go bhfuil daoine ar fáil; agus an ndéanfaidh sí ráiteas ina thaobh. [13010/26]
Naoise Ó Muirí Written 19 Feb 2026 · to Children
171. Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her Department has assessed the significant level of demand for childcare services in north Dublin in its plans for State-led facilities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13362/26]
Shane Moynihan Written 19 Feb 2026 · to Children
174. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether she has plans to introduce new rules to regulate non-refundable childcare deposits, given that they can be substantial, particularly for families who join multiple waiting lists in order to secure a childcare place; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12391/26]
Brendan Smith Written 19 Feb 2026 · to Children
177. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will outline the scheme, or schemes, of grant aid that will be available this year for the upgrading or provision of new childcare accommodation, both for community providers and private providers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13005/26]
Aindrias Moynihan Written 19 Feb 2026 · to Children
179. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Aindrias Moynihan den Minister for Children, Disability and Equality an bhfuil sí ar an eolas faoi na deacrachtaí a bhaineann le hearcú foirne do chúram leanaí agus nionraí sa Ghaeltacht, cad iad na hiarrachtaí atá ar siúl chun a chinntiú go bhfuil daoine ar fáil; agus an ndéanfaidh sí ráiteas ina thaobh. [13381/26]
Emer Currie Written 19 Feb 2026 · to Children
183. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for an update on how deposits for childcare services will be managed under Core Funding 2026-2027. [13316/26]