Childcare Services

1077. Deputy Michael Collins asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of early years services, excluding child minders, in existence before the core funding partnership started in September 2021. [48256/25]

1087. Deputy Martin Daly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the capital funding supports available to enable the development of new early years facilities in communities with no existing provision; and if his Department will consider supporting community-led or social enterprise models. [48572/25]

1109. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will ensure that a Montessori operating an inclusive model of education and care (details supplied) is not forced to reduce services due to funding constraints; and that this Montessori is not forced to abandon an inclusive model of care in favour of mainstream or special status which would exclude some of…

1185. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if there are any fast-track or alternative planning mechanisms for urgently needed childcare and preschool services, particularly in rural or underserved areas in Kerry. [45454/25]

1885. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the measures in place to stop childcare providers from withdrawing from core funding, the reason there are no emergency measures to support families impacted by provider withdrawal; whether the national childcare scheme will be revised to reflect the actual market cost of childcare; the progress on a public childcare…

1895. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if Budget 2026 will include targeted investment to reduce childcare costs, given recent reports showing that average childcare payments now exceed mortgage repayments in most urban areas; and the projected fiscal cost of implementing a universal childcare cap or subsidy model. [44937/25]

1898. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will include in the 2026-2027 core funding contract, new rules to regulate childcare deposits that would stipulate a maximum deposit equivalent to no more than two weeks’ fees at the time of booking, that the balance of the standard deposit (maximum of up to one month’s fees) would be collected no earlier…

1901. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the action that will be taken to tackle the core funding scheme for childcare being so dysfunctional (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45095/25]

1904. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality following implementation of the September 2025 fee cap, if she will provide details of the maximum capped fees by hours band including the €295 week cap for 40–50 hours; the compliance and enforcement regime; the expected coverage share of services and children; and any sanctions for breach (details supplied). [45124…

1905. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to publish modelling by decile of household income and typical hours of parents net costs in September 2025 combining the new caps with NCS universal that is €2.14/hour up to 45 hours; and income-assessed subsidies up to €5.10/hour (details supplied). [45125/25]

1944. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether evaluation has taken place regarding the implementation of the Irish food allergy network’s guidance about best practices in childcare settings. [45576/25]

1946. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the steps she is taking to alleviate the worsening childcare crisis in Kilkenny-Carlow (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45596/25]

1947. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if a childcare place for a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny will be provided; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45630/25]

1948. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality in view of the gradual reduction of childcare costs as committed to in the Programme for Government, the steps she has taken to progress this policy; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45639/25]

1963. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her attention has been drawn to the concerns of parents with children attending a nursery (details supplied); the actions she will take to engage with management of this childcare centre on these concerns; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46007/25]

1965. Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality her plans to ensure that creches adhere to the cap on childcare fees; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46016/25]

1966. Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality her plans to support childcare providers in the administrative burden in accessing Government funding in the national childcare scheme. [46017/25]

1967. Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of childcare providers that have left the national childcare scheme since the announcement of the childcare fee cap, in tabular form. [46018/25]

1968. Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of childcare providers in Dublin south central that have left the national childcare scheme since the announcement of the childcare fee cap, in tabular form. [46019/25]

1973. Deputy Seán Fleming asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality her plans to deal with the situation where a parents parental leave is over but there are no childcare places available for very young children (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46168/25]

1977. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will urgently review the adequacy of supports for community-based childcare services in light of the closure of a service (details supplied) in Midleton, County Cork; the actions she intends to take to prevent further closures of early years services nationally; if she accepts that's the current funding and po…

1984. Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of childcare settings that have withdrawn from the core funding scheme and the number that have signed up to core funding scheme, in 2023, 2024 and to date in 2025; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46372/25]

1991. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the status of the provision of childcare places under the NCS in Athlone, in particular for children with urgent developmental needs; the steps being taken to ensure that approved NCS beneficiaries are not left without access to creche facilities, including any emergency childcare measures; and if she will make a st…

2010. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of public childcare providers operational in north county Dublin; the plans to expand the network to this area which is one of the youngest and fastest growing areas in the country; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47087/25]

2011. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of childminders registered with her Department from north county Dublin; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47088/25]