333. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality when the assessment process for fee increase requests on behalf of childcare facilities participating in core funding will be announced; her views on whether it may have been premature to put in place a wage increase for practitioners without providing for an avenue where services can apply for fee increases simultaneously; and if she ca…
Topics / Childcare Services
A subject heading for parliamentary questionsChildcare 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
| Month | Questions |
|---|---|
| January 2025 | 11 |
| February 2025 | 62 |
| March 2025 | 43 |
| April 2025 | 71 |
| May 2025 | 35 |
| June 2025 | 70 |
| July 2025 | 93 |
| August 2025 | 0 |
| September 2025 | 87 |
| October 2025 | 41 |
| November 2025 | 155 |
| December 2025 | 74 |
| January 2026 | 71 |
| February 2026 | 76 |
| March 2026 | 55 |
| April 2026 | 78 |
| May 2026 | 107 |
| June 2026 | 144 |
| July 2026 | 64 |
| August 2026 | 0 |
| September 2026 | 38 |
| October 2026 | 63 |
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.
The TDs who asked most
Members of the Government answer questions rather than ask them. Each question counts once.
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130
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88
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70
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69
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47
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40
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36
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33
Asked of
Debated under the same heading
Debates whose official heading is exactly these words.
The questions
883. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the proposals to protect and grow the home-based childcare sector, as many in the sector believe that the one-size-fits-all approach is driving childminders out, creating anxiety across the sector and reducing childcare capacity; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [62724/25]
889. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children currently availing of the national childcare scheme in County Louth; if she will provide a breakdown by full-time, part-time and sessional hours; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [62862/25]
891. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of additional childcare places created in County Louth since the introduction of Core Funding in year one; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [62864/25]
895. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if the Forward Planning and Delivery Unit has identified specific capacity gaps in childcare provision in County Louth; to detail the areas of greatest pressure; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [62868/25]
896. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if County Louth will be included in the initial phase of State-led or State-owned childcare facility development; if the county has been prioritised given its population growth; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [62869/25]
897. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of services in County Louth shortlisted under the building blocks extension grant scheme; the estimated number of new childcare places expected to be delivered locally under the scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [62870/25]
910. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of childcare providers registered with Tusla; and where this involves multi-site owners, the number of services in that group. [63140/25]
911. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of childcare providers that are full day care only and are registered with Tusla; and of these, the number of services that are not in core funding. [63141/25]
912. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of childcare providers that are part-time only and are registered with Tusla; and of these, the number of services that are not in core funding. [63142/25]
913. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of childcare providers that are sessional only and are registered with Tusla; and of these, the number of services that are not in core funding. [63143/25]
914. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of childcare providers that are community-run services; and of these, the number of services that are not in core funding. [63144/25]
915. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of childcare providers that are in core funding; and of these, and the number of services that are sessional services. [63145/25]
917. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her attention has been drawn to concerns raised by members of a representative group (details supplied), specifically in relation to centres that operate out of family homes; the actions she will take to engage with this sector; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [63193/25]
919. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality her views on the adequacy of the aspect of the core funding childcare scheme, related to the time thresholds for each band (details supplied); the actions she will take to address these concerns; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [63355/25]
920. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will address concerns regarding the escalating cost of childcare, raised in correspondence (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [63356/25]
936. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the progress that has been made over the past 12 months on each Programme for Government commitment relating to childcare, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [63656/25]
937. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality when the Action Plan on Childcare, which is a key priority in the Programme for Government, will be published; if she will outline in detail the work that has been undertaken by her Department since the Government was formed in developing this plan; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [63657/25]
939. Deputy Aisling Dempsey asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will consider excluding domiciliary care allowance from reckonable income for the national childcare scheme subsidy; and the immediate steps his Department will take to support affected families in the meantime; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [63736/25]
941. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of childcare providers receiving core funding for each year between 2022-2025, by county, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [63785/25]
942. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of childcare providers that have withdrawn from core funding for each year between 2022-2025, by county, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [63786/25]
414. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the schemes available to an organisation (details supplied) to fund the building of their early childhood and family centre; how they can apply for this; if she will engage with the project; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [62356/25]
415. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No.1506 of 4 November 2025, the expected timeframe for the introduction of the fee increase assessment type exercise referred to in the reply; if she will confirm when this assessment will open to providers participating in the Core Funding programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6235…
424. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the measures in place to support childcare facilities in transitioning to using renewable sources of energy. [62613/25]
80. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will comment on the survey findings by a representative organisation (details supplied) which showed that 80% of childminder services will close; and the actions her Department is taking to address the issue. [61743/25]