Childcare Services

145. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will clarify the elements of the recently announced core funding changes & employment regulation order in relation to the childcare sector; and the percentage of core funding announced which will be ringfenced for wage increases focusing on the level of training and experience. [57546/25]

146. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will clarify whether holes in funding have been identified in the community childcare sector as a result of the recently announced employment regulation order and the new round of core funding; if she will confirm if core funding will cover the entirety of the enforced wage increases across all community childc…

711. Deputy James Geoghegan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will address the issue of NCS funding being reduced for parents who have to collect their children early from creche; if she is considering changes to NCS funding that will allow more flexibility for parents in such a position; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57020/25]

810. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Health to assist a family in County Kerry who is finding it extremely difficult to access assistance for their child (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56971/25]

320. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the first and full-year cost, in terms of additional core funding required, to deliver on the €295 per week maximum fee cap for childcare that was introduced by Government; and if a separate funding stream that is not core funding is being employed to specify same. [56110/25]

323. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children in Kildare on a waiting list for childcare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56132/25]

324. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the first and full-year cost, in terms of additional core funding required, to deliver on the €295 per week maximum fee cap for childcare that was introduced by Government; and if a separate funding stream that is not core funding is being employed, to specify same. [56135/25]

327. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality her views on concerns around the privatization of childcare providers in Fingal (details supplied) and initiatives her Department is taking increase the amount of publicly owned childcare services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56303/25]

413. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht to specify what the €3 million allocated to community centres will be used for; the amount that will be used for the provision of community childcare, that is, creche, Montessori, breakfast clubs and after school clubs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56124/25]

275. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to provide details on the NCS evaluation; to outline how parents, educators and representative organisations can make contributions to the evaluation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55874/25]

277. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if support can be provided to prevent the closure of a creche (details supplied); if she will engage with the creche owners; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55911/25]

278. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the measures that have been taken to address the huge shortage of childcare places in Milltown, mid and south Kerry (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55965/25]

279. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the measures that will be taken to progressively reduce the cost of childcare to €200 per month per child through the national childcare scheme; if options will be explored 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 mat…

777. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for an update regarding the gradual reduction of childcare costs, as committed to in the Programme for Government; the steps she has taken to progress this policy; the timeline for the publication of an official plan in this regard; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54848/25]

787. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the current status of the national childcare strategy; when a formal strategy document is expected to be published; if stakeholder consultation has been completed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55253/25]

788. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality when the forward planning unit within her Department will publish outputs from its work on mapping childcare provision and identifying gaps; if this data will be made available, by county and constituency; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55254/25]

789. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the timeline for implementing targeted measures to address the deficit of childcare places in constituencies such as Dublin Fingal West; if capital investment or capacity-building supports are planned for areas with sustained population growth; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55255/25]

790. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality when the building blocks capital grant scheme will be reopened; the eligibility criteria which will be appliable; the way her Department intends to prioritise areas with limited availability of places; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55256/25]

791. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the way in which north county Dublin scored in the most recent round of allocations under the building blocks capacity grant scheme; if any applications from the area were successful; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55257/25]

303. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to index-link the foster care allowance to the rate of inflation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54308/25]

304. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if consideration will be given to index linking the foster care allowance to keep pace with rising costs and relieve financial pressure on carers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54337/25]

307. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if consideration will be given to an increase in the aftercare allowance to align with the foster care allowance and extend support up to age 23; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54332/25]

308. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if consideration will be given to pension security for foster carers to recognise the years spent caring for children; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54334/25]

499. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the total number of children supported by income-assessed childcare subsidies, by county, in 2025; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52927/25]

500. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the average payment under income-assessed childcare in 2025. [52929/25]