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

Emer Currie Written 6 Nov 2025 · to Children
373. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the work carried out under the previous Government to support community childcare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [60844/25]
Emer Currie Written 6 Nov 2025 · to Children
374. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she is aware that community childcare in the Fingal County Council area has fallen to just 5%, while Dublin City Council stands at 33% and Leitrim at 64% and that given the benefits of the community childcare model for disadvantaged areas, whether she could conduct an analysis on the reason some county councils are more effective than…
Emer Currie Written 4 Nov 2025 · to Children
1465. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for an update on a building blocks extension grant application for a creche (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57741/25]
Albert Dolan Written 4 Nov 2025 · to Children
1469. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will provide details on the 700 additional childcare places announced in Budget 2026; where these places will be located; how they will be located; the timeline for their delivery; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57838/25]
Louis O'Hara Written 4 Nov 2025 · to Children
1470. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the supports her Department will provide to a group (details supplied) to establish a new community creche in Caltra; if funding is available from her Department for construction and initial operational costs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57876/25]
Sorca Clarke Written 4 Nov 2025 · to Children
1480. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of people on waiting lists for childcare, per county. [58016/25]
Maeve O'Connell Written 4 Nov 2025 · to Children
1486. Deputy Maeve O'Connell asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her Department will address the inconsistent staffing ratio requirements for childcare facilities that are subject to the time of day. [58196/25]
Niamh Smyth Written 4 Nov 2025 · to Children
1506. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will review the correspondence from a childcare facility (details supplied); if she will address the concerns raised regarding the core funding system and fee increase restrictions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [58446/25]
Naoise Ó Cearúil Written 4 Nov 2025 · to Children
1516. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to detail the financial supports that are available for community-based childcare services operating in school settings (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [58639/25]
Eoghan Kenny Written 4 Nov 2025 · to Children
1532. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for an update on childcare service capacity in Cork North Central; if additional funding will be provided to support community childcare providers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [59000/25]
Eoghan Kenny Written 4 Nov 2025 · to Children
1533. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the timeline for full implementation of the universal childcare subsidy; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [59003/25]
Eoghan Kenny Written 4 Nov 2025 · to Children
1534. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the way in which her Department will ensure equitable funding between community and private childcare providers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [59004/25]
Johnny Guirke Written 4 Nov 2025 · to Children
1538. Deputy Johnny Guirke asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for an update on required staffing levels for education centres such as play schools and creches; and to outline any plans to attract additional qualified staff to County Meath; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [59115/25]
Seán Ó Fearghaíl Written 4 Nov 2025 · to Children
1544. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will address the matters raised in correspondence (details supplied) regarding the rising cost of childcare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [59236/25]
Emer Currie Written 4 Nov 2025 · to Children
1552. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will consider the introduction of regulations around the management of waiting lists in childcare facilities including rules regarding the return of deposits when places are relinquished in a reasonable timeframe. [59335/25]
Grace Boland Written 4 Nov 2025 · to Children
1555. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the timeline for the reopening of the building blocks capital grant scheme; if the eligibility criteria will remain the same, or be widened in the next round; if her Department has a strategy to encourage the establishment and expansion of community-based childcare services in areas of high demand where property and rental costs act as…
Grace Boland Written 4 Nov 2025 · to Children
1556. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the timeline for the publication of the action plan to build an affordable, high-quality and accessible early childhood education and care system, as referenced in recent replies to parliamentary questions; if the action plan will include a specific focus on childcare infrastructure and the development of State-led capacity in areas of…
Emer Currie Written 4 Nov 2025 · to Children
1562. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to provide an update on a building blocks extension grant (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [59484/25]
Claire Kerrane Written 4 Nov 2025 · to Children
1584. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the approximate national cost of fees charged to parents after all funding schemes are taken into account, based on the most recent data. [59512/25]
Claire Kerrane Written 4 Nov 2025 · to Children
1585. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of graduates working in the early years and the SAC sector. [59513/25]
Claire Kerrane Written 4 Nov 2025 · to Children
1586. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of graduates working in the early years and SAC sector who are currently benefiting from the graduate uplift.; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [59514/25]
Claire Kerrane Written 4 Nov 2025 · to Children
1588. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality her views on and the status of the provision of 700 childcare places through the acquisition of State-led childcare services in 2026. [59517/25]
Johnny Guirke Written 4 Nov 2025 · to Children
1623. Deputy Johnny Guirke asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of new childcare places that have been opened in County Meath for the years 2024 and 2025, respectively. [60108/25]
Ciarán Ahern Written 4 Nov 2025 · to Health
1795. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Health if she will urgently intervene in the case of a child (details supplied) who, despite having been diagnosed with ADHD by VHI psychologists, and dyslexia and dyspraxia by the National Educational Psychological Service, CAMHS has refused to meet in-person; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [58590/25]
Ken O'Flynn Written 4 Nov 2025 · to Health
2042. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health if her Department has reviewed current practices regarding the care, support, and guidance provided to children experiencing gender dysphoria, in light of the Cass Review in England (details supplied); the steps being taken to ensure that parents are fully informed of toolkit contents, that balanced, evidence-based information is provided to children, and that ch…