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

Martin Daly Written 27 Jan 2026 · to Health
962. Deputy Martin Daly asked the Minister for Health the number of children awaiting a first appointment with primary care speech and language therapy services in each CHO area as of 31 December 2025 or latest date available by waiting time bands, in tabular form. [5694/26]
Eoin Ó Broin Written 22 Jan 2026 · to Education
371. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Education and Youth if her Department has had any engagement with the Department of Children, Disability and Equality regarding increased childcare provision using school sites; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5357/26]
Michael Healy-Rae Written 22 Jan 2026 · to Children
491. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality when an assessment will take place for a child (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5178/26]
Eoin Ó Broin Written 22 Jan 2026 · to Children
499. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her Department has had any engagement with the Department of Education and Youth regarding increased childcare and early years provision on school sites; if this has been considered regarding increasing capacity, specifically in areas where there is a lack of options for parents; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5355/…
Eoin Ó Broin Written 22 Jan 2026 · to Children
500. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she is aware of a lack of available, affordable and appropriate childcare placements in the Lucan, County Dublin area; the efforts underway to increase options and capacity to ensure childcare services are available to young people who require them; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5356/26]
James Geoghegan Written 20 Jan 2026 · to Children
835. Deputy James Geoghegan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if children in a variety of childminding settings can also benefit from national childcare scheme subsidies; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3657/26]
James Geoghegan Written 20 Jan 2026 · to Children
836. Deputy James Geoghegan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if childminding done outside of commercial setting, such as registered creches' and Montessori’s, should be considered within the national childcare scheme, this would include the use of childminders, such as au pairs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3658/26]
Robert O'Donoghue Written 20 Jan 2026 · to Children
837. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to provide a list of early years and school age childcare services that have withdrawn from the core funding scheme; the number and percentage of services that have signed up to the scheme to date; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3721/26]
Robert O'Donoghue Written 20 Jan 2026 · to Children
838. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether her Department has identified small to medium early years and school age childcare services that are not primarily ECCE-funded and are now receiving less funding than they did prior to the introduction of the core funding scheme; if a review of the funding allocations to these services has been carried out; if she will take…
Barry Ward Written 20 Jan 2026 · to Children
843. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her attention has been drawn to criticisms of the independent external review of the draft childminding regulations that was carried out by a person (details supplied) specifically in relation to claims that the report did not adequately engage with the childminding sector; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3819/26]
Mark Ward Written 20 Jan 2026 · to Children
863. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if a resource centre (details supplied) can apply to the building blocks scheme to fund/part-fund a new-build to replace an older, not-fit-for-purpose premises; if so, the application process; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4157/26]
Robert O'Donoghue Written 20 Jan 2026 · to Children
865. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether a mechanism will be introduced to allow funding under the AIM, NCS and sponsored childcare schemes to be backdated in cases where administrative issues prevent applications from being submitted immediately, in order that providers are not financially disadvantaged; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4167/26]
Cormac Devlin Written 20 Jan 2026 · to Children
877. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to detail her plans to improve the provision of childcare facilities, in particular in areas such as Shankill, County Dublin, where there has been significant demographic growth in recent years and demand for services due to new housing development, and if she will consider the Shankill area to trial a new State-based model for childca…
Mark Wall Written 15 Jan 2026 · to Children
504. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 23 of 18 December 2025, if she will provide the breakdown of costs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3286/26]
Ruth Coppinger Written 13 Jan 2026 · to Education
1168. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Education and Youth to consider implementing an early screening programme for children with dyslexia; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [75035/25]
Ruth Coppinger Written 13 Jan 2026 · to Education
1169. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Education and Youth her Departments plans to improve access to dyslexia supports for students in school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [75036/25]
Darren O'Rourke Written 13 Jan 2026 · to Education
1185. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth given the publication of the revised estimated volume in December 2025, if she can provide a breakdown on how the figures for the number of children and young people to benefit from engagement in a youth service figure has been worked out; how the outturn and output targets have been developed; the resources being made available to realise these …
Mark Wall Written 13 Jan 2026 · to Education
1221. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Education and Youth if assistive technology can be provided for a child in County Kildare (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1671/26]
Emer Currie Written 13 Jan 2026 · to Children
1879. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will provide an update on her engagement with the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage in relation to the review of the 2001 planning guidelines for childcare facilities; if she has met with the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage in relation to this matter; the outcome of the meeting; her views on …
Emer Currie Written 13 Jan 2026 · to Children
1880. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her Department has identified suitable properties for purchase in order to progress the commitment to State-led childcare facilities; the engagement her Department has had with local authorities and the Land Development Agency in relation to this matter; her views on whether properties built under the 2001 planning guidelines for chi…
Ivana Bacik Written 13 Jan 2026 · to Children
1897. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality her plans to reform the national childcare scheme to cover children with complex medical needs who are deemed unsuitable for group childcare settings due to their circumstances; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [74272/25]
Claire Kerrane Written 13 Jan 2026 · to Children
1905. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to provide further details of phase one of the early years action plan; if she will provide specific details regarding how the plan will assist childcare service providers tackle rising and immediate costs and administrative burdens; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [74371/25]
Richard Boyd Barrett Written 13 Jan 2026 · to Children
1929. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the alternative funding streams available to a community-based project (details supplied) which previously relied in part on the national childcare scheme support but now faces a funding shortfall as age-based eligibility thresholds for NCS funding have changed, notwithstanding the fact that the project provides wider community…
Richard Boyd Barrett Written 13 Jan 2026 · to Children
1930. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether her Department has a policy or continuity plan to prevent the loss of community-based services for vulnerable teenagers where a programme has historically relied on the national childcare scheme support but now faces a shortfall as participants age out of eligibility; and whether she will engage with the service (detail…
Richard Boyd Barrett Written 13 Jan 2026 · to Children
1932. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the reason the national childcare scheme (NCS) which is available to children from 6 months of age and offers up to 45 hours per week, while the AIM model which supports ECCE programmes with additional resources and capitation to accommodate children with additional needs is only available to those aged two years and nine month…