Childcare Services

791. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 769 of 25 November 2025, if under the current national childcare scheme attendance compliance rules, a pattern of under-attendance for seven consecutive weeks followed by one week of full attendance would effectively reset the under-attendance count; if such a pattern could be r…

797. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of meetings her Department have had with an organisation (details supplied) over the past number of years in advance of the new regulations for the section; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [69775/25]

801. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the steps her Department is taking to improve access to affordable and flexible after school care for families; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [69827/25]

221. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to examine a case (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [68251/25]

228. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality her plans to increase the availability of childcare places in Kilcock, County Kildare, where families are facing waiting lists extending into late 2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [68509/25]

229. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she is aware that the shortage of childcare places in Kilcock is forcing some parents out of the workforce; the supports or interventions which are planned to address this; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [68510/25]

230. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if population growth projections for Kilcock have been factored into childcare service planning; whether additional funding or capacity-building measures will be introduced to reduce waiting lists and support families; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [68511/25]

231. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will review the decision not to provide a Christmas bonus to foster carers in 2025; if consideration will be given to reinstating the payment in future years given the extra costs at Christmas; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [68512/25]

232. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her Department has assessed the financial impact on foster carers of the decision not to provide a Christmas bonus in 2025; the supports being considered to assist foster carers during periods of increased costs such as Christmas; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [68513/25]

467. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to provide an update on a complaint regarding the breach of core funding rules by a service provider (details supplied); the length of time this complaint took to be concluded at Stage 1 and Stage 2; the length of time the complaint has been at Stage 3; the timeline for the full resolution of the complaint; the preci…

484. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the actions her Department is taking to increase childcare capacity in Dublin Bay North, given the growing number of parents who cannot secure a crèche place despite applying well in advance of birth; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [67503/25]

486. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the steps her Department is taking to reduce the reliance of parents on childminders, where families are unable to access a crèche place despite early applications; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [67505/25]

487. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the way in which her Department will ensure that parents on maternity leave are not required to spend significant time seeking childcare places due to capacity shortages; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [67506/25]

489. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to examine the case of a child (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [67557/25]

494. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of unannounced inspections carried out on subcontracted private childcare providers in each of the past three years; the inspection outcomes, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [67847/25]

500. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 160 of 12 November 2025, if she will provide a copy of the independent external review of the draft Childminding Regulations which was carried out by a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [67974/25]

501. Deputy Cathy Bennett asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if consideration will be given to opening applications for Core Funding early, as some childcare providers who have not increased their fees for a number of years are struggling to remain open; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [67978/25]

505. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to provide a copy of the independent external review of the draft Childminding Regulations which was carried out by a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [68018/25]

507. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she is aware that a childcare provider in Louth (details supplied) has left the Core Funding system; if additional support can be provided to the operator to ensure they remain within the system and continue to provide early years care to the cohort of families that currently use the service; and if she will make a st…

461. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of Irish language child-care places available outside the Gaeltacht, with particular reference to Gaeltacht service towns and Irish language networks; the provision made in her Department’s budget estimates for 2026 to support the establishment of new provision; and if she will make a statement o…

476. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the position regarding childminders who now seek Garda vetting; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [67078/25]

477. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of childminders in the country; how that figure is calculated, the number of children for which they care; the number registered with Tusla; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [67079/25]

9. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide an update on his Department's efforts to fulfil the programme for Government commitment to review the 2001 Childcare Facilities Guidelines for Planning Authorities to ensure childcare spaces are provided and put into use; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [65825/25]

497. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his Department's policy recognises that the charging of rates on registered childcare provider’s operating from their own family home would act as a major disincentive to such care; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [65558/25]

518. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he accepts that commercial rates should not be charged to registered childcare providers in circumstances where that care is provided in the family home; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [65557/25]