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

Edward Timmins Written 12 Nov 2025 · to Children
141. Deputy Edward Timmins asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the steps her Department is evaluating to assist childcare providers in constructing their own premises; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61581/25]
James O'Connor Written 12 Nov 2025 · to Children
142. Deputy James O'Connor asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the supports available to childcare providers in Core Funding who may require additional financial support. [61905/25]
Joe Neville Written 12 Nov 2025 · to Children
145. Deputy Joe Neville asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the work her Department is doing to evaluate the possibility of greater State involvement in providing childcare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61903/25]
Peter Roche Written 12 Nov 2025 · to Children
148. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for a progress report on the Programme for Government Commitment to reduce childcare costs to €200 per month per child; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61570/25]
Naoise Ó Cearúil Written 12 Nov 2025 · to Children
149. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to consider introducing financial supports for community-based childcare providers operating outside the ECCE framework, particularly those based in schools that cannot operate during school closures; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61541/25]
Naoise Ó Muirí Written 12 Nov 2025 · to Children
151. Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality her views on the need to improve pay and terms and conditions within the childcare sector in order to attract and retain staff; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61496/25]
Barry Ward Written 12 Nov 2025 · to Children
153. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the actions she will take to address the shortage of creche/preschool places in south Dublin; if her attention has been drawn to significant waiting lists in many areas including Blackrock, Dún Laoghaire and Shankill; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [59968/25]
Peter 'Chap' Cleere Written 12 Nov 2025 · to Children
155. Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the means by which Budget 2026 will support the delivery of affordable and accessible childcare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61445/25]
James Geoghegan Written 12 Nov 2025 · to Children
157. Deputy James Geoghegan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will provide an update on the Programme for Government commitment to extend the national childcare scheme to childminders working in the family home, with sensible regulations that fit homebased care; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61556/25]
Emer Currie Written 12 Nov 2025 · to Children
158. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to provide an update on the action plan for childcare and a date for the launch. [61907/25]
Aengus Ó Snodaigh Written 12 Nov 2025 · to Children
160. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she is aware of the warning of an organisations (details supplied) that if nothing changes, thousands of trusted childminders will be exited from the sector, thus reducing choice, flexibility, and affordability for parents; and the urgent action she will take to avert a crisis. [61329/25]
Mark Wall Written 12 Nov 2025 · to Children
161. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she plans on publishing her Department’s childcare action plan before the end of 2025; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61746/25]
Colm Burke Written 12 Nov 2025 · to Children
162. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the measures included in Budget 2026 to reduce costs for parents and improve accessibility; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61545/25]
Peadar Tóibín Written 12 Nov 2025 · to Children
163. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the steps her Department is taking to reduce the cost of childcare in the State. [61894/25]
Cathy Bennett Written 12 Nov 2025 · to Children
165. Deputy Cathy Bennett asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will report on her engagements with the childminding sector. [61900/25]
Brendan Smith Written 12 Nov 2025 · to Children
172. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the funding that will be provided in 2026 for the building blocks grant scheme; when the details of the 2026 scheme will be made available; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61587/25]
Catherine Callaghan Written 12 Nov 2025 · to Children
176. Deputy Catherine Callaghan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to provide a predicted timeline on the delivery of reducing the cost of childcare to €200 per month per child; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61428/25]
Cathy Bennett Written 12 Nov 2025 · to Children
177. Deputy Cathy Bennett asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the timeframe in which she intends to deliverchildcare costs of €10 per day. [61899/25]
Robert O'Donoghue Written 12 Nov 2025 · to Children
178. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the level of funding allocated in Budget 2026 to support the negotiation and implementation of a new early years employment regulation order; the timeline for communicating this allocation to the Early Years Joint Labour Committee; the steps being taken to ensure pay negotiations proceed without delay, given ongoing recruitment and…
Joe Neville Written 12 Nov 2025 · to Children
839. Deputy Joe Neville asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of childcare providers of sessional services in Naas; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61100/25]
Joe Neville Written 12 Nov 2025 · to Children
840. Deputy Joe Neville asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of childcare providers of sessional services in Leixlip; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61101/25]
Joe Neville Written 12 Nov 2025 · to Children
841. Deputy Joe Neville asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of childcare providers of sessional services in Maynooth; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61102/25]
Joe Neville Written 12 Nov 2025 · to Children
842. Deputy Joe Neville asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of childcare providers of sessional services in Celbridge; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61103/25]
Joe Neville Written 12 Nov 2025 · to Children
843. Deputy Joe Neville asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of childcare providers of sessional services in Kilcock; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61104/25]
Joe Neville Written 12 Nov 2025 · to Children
844. Deputy Joe Neville asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of childcare providers of sessional services in Clane; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61105/25]