Childcare Services

387. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the short-term or interim funding options available for an early education centre (details supplied) while it is awaiting the outcome of a sustainability fund application from the Dublin City Childcare Committee; to maintain this centre’s viability in the short term considering it is located in an area where there…

388. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the mechanisms in place to ensure that early learning and childcare providers participating in the core funding scheme comply with the fee management conditions, and do not increase fees charged to parents contrary to the terms of the scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50364/26]

389. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether compliance is monitored directly by her Department, by Pobal, by the network of City and County Childcare Committees (CCCs), or by another body; to outline the respective responsibilities of each organisation in relation to monitoring and enforcement; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5036…

390. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of fee management reviews, investigations, audits or compliance checks undertaken in each year since the introduction of core funding; the number of breaches identified and sanctions applied; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50366/26]

391. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the historical fee information retained by her Department or its agents for participating providers, including the earliest date for which fee schedules are held; whether fee lists dating back to 30 September 2021 (or earlier where applicable) remain available for compliance and audit purposes; and if she will m…

392. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether all providers in receipt of core funding are required to submit updated fee lists annually; the way in which those fee lists are verified against the baseline fee applicable under the scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50368/26]

393. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the total number of fee reviews initiated; the number of fee reviews initiated since the establishment of the core funding scheme resulted in a finding that parents were being overcharged by a partner service and therefore in breach of core funding rules; to confirm if payments to that service provider have been…

394. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality where a finding of overcharging/breach of core funding rules was made against a partner service, to indicate in each instance the length of time the case took from first complaint to a finding that the partner service was breaching core funding rules; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50370/26]

395. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the total number of cases where a partner service was found to have raised fees in breach of the core funding rules, if the relevant partner service has confirmed to her Department that it has completed all remedial actions within the specified time period, including refunds of parents if required; and if she wi…

396. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality in situations where the partner service has confirmed that they have completed all remedial actions including refunds, to outline the way in which the evidence of remedy provided by the service provider has been verified by her Department; if parents and service users who were deemed to have been overcharged hav…

397. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to identify the instances where a finding has been made that a partner service has overcharged parents in breach of core funding rules; where the deadline for complying with the remedial actions including refunds has passed and her Department has been made aware (by any means) that the partner service has not in…

401. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of ECCE-only services nationally and by county in the years 2020 to 2025, inclusive. [50509/26]

239. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her Department will help resolve an issue experienced by a childcare business (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49945/26]

256. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to urgently address the shortage of childcare places, address pay and conditions of childcare employees, provide additional staff and childcare centres across County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50281/26]

720. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for an update on a query relating to the NCS (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49625/26]

724. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the current waiting time for registration of new creches/early years services with Tusla; the number of applications waiting to be approved; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49691/26]

725. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of childcare services participating in the core funding scheme in County Waterford in each year since the scheme was established; the total amount of core funding allocated by her Department to those services in each year; the number of childcare places associated with those services in each year, a…

726. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of childcare services in County Waterford that, to her knowledge and based on information held by her Department, have ceased operating in each year since 2020; the estimated number of childcare places thereby lost; if she is satisfied with the trend; and if she will make a statement on the matter. …

727. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of new childcare services that, according to information available to her Department, commenced operation in County Waterford in each year since 2020; the number of additional childcare places thereby created; if she considers this sufficient to meet demand; and if she will make a statement on the m…

728. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of childcare places in County Waterford in each year since 2020, according to information available to her Department; the number of children aged under five years residing in the county in each of those years; the resulting number of childcare places per 100 children aged under five years; if her D…

729. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the total value of capital funding allocated by her Department to childcare providers in County Waterford in each year since 2020 under all capital investment and expansion schemes; the number of successful applications; the number of additional childcare places projected to result from those investments; the …

730. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number and value of applications received by her Department, or on behalf of her Department, from childcare providers in County Waterford under capital funding schemes in each year since 2020; the number approved and unsuccessful; if she is satisfied that the level of investment approved has met demand in …

731. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of childcare services in County Waterford participating in the national childcare scheme in each year since 2020; the total value of subsidies paid in respect of children attending those services in each year; if her Department has assessed the impact of those subsidies on affordability for families…

732. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether her Department holds information on the average fees charged by childcare providers participating in Core Funding nationally and in County Waterford; if so, the average annual fee in each year since 2022 and the annual increase or decrease; if not, how her Department assesses whether Core Funding is re…

733. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of staff employed in childcare services participating in Core Funding in County Waterford in each year since 2020, according to information available to her Department; the corresponding national figures; if she is satisfied that staffing levels are sufficient to meet existing and projected childcar…