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 7 Oct 2025 · to Children
500. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the average payment under income-assessed childcare in 2025. [52929/25]
Ken O'Flynn Written 7 Oct 2025 · to Children
505. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will publish detailed, disaggregated data showing the number of childcare providers entering and leaving the sector nationally and by county each year since 2015, including whether those providers were part of the core funding scheme. [52981/25]
Ken O'Flynn Written 7 Oct 2025 · to Children
506. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the steps her Department is taking to prevent excessive childcare fee increases, including whether consideration has been given to introducing statutory fee caps or a link between the core funding scheme and maximum allowable fee levels. [52982/25]
Ken O'Flynn Written 7 Oct 2025 · to Children
507. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the locations where State-led childcare facilities are currently being planned or developed, including projected capacity, opening dates, costs, and the criteria used for site selection. [52983/25]
Ken O'Flynn Written 7 Oct 2025 · to Children
508. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the specific supports (financial, operational, training, or business supports) which are being made available to smaller and rural childcare providers to maintain their viability within the core funding scheme. [52984/25]
Ken O'Flynn Written 7 Oct 2025 · to Children
509. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the way in which her Department verifies claims of a national net increase in services when some regions, such as Cork, have reported sustained decreases; and if she will provide a breakdown reconciliating national and regional figures. [52985/25]
Mark Wall Written 7 Oct 2025 · to Children
521. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she can provide a location and date of closure for the 759 childcare providers within the State who have closed their doors over the past five years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53306/25]
Mark Wall Written 7 Oct 2025 · to Children
522. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if there are any sports clubs or sports organisations that have applied for and are in receipt of core funding; their names, and the date they received any such funding; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53307/25]
Duncan Smith Written 7 Oct 2025 · to Children
540. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the policy for the cap on childcare fees for parents whose children attend facilities for less than 50 hours per week (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53669/25]
Shane Moynihan Written 7 Oct 2025 · to Children
545. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for an update on the progress being made in relation to reviewing the 2001 planning guidelines for childcare facilities; if an audit of facilities granted planning permission to date would provide important insights into their effectiveness as part of this; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53866/25]
Marie Sherlock Written 2 Oct 2025 · to Children
396. Deputy Marie Sherlock asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality how the NCS IT system was able to process applications in respect of school-going age for 41 hours per week. [52806/25]
Marie Sherlock Written 2 Oct 2025 · to Children
397. Deputy Marie Sherlock asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the actions taken by her Department on foot of the fault in the NCS IT system; the resources allocated to the follow-up inspection; and the number of services inspected as part of this investigation. [52807/25]
Marie Sherlock Written 2 Oct 2025 · to Children
398. Deputy Marie Sherlock asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the reason parents have to renew their NCS eligibility every eight weeks; and the plans she has to lengthen this period. [52808/25]
Shane Moynihan Written 1 Oct 2025 · to Children
161. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she has considered the impact of the automatic enrolment retirement savings system on childcare providers as an additional cost; if there is guidance available for providers on this; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52341/25]
Claire Kerrane Written 1 Oct 2025 · to Children
162. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if consideration has been given to the impact on community and private childcare providers of the introduction of auto-enrolment and the significant added cost this will place on providers; if she plans to take any action on this; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52369/25]
Michael Healy-Rae Written 1 Oct 2025 · to Children
163. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the measures which will be taken to ensure pay parity for those providing childcare (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52458/25]
James Geoghegan Written 30 Sep 2025 · to Children
772. Deputy James Geoghegan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to review matters raised in correspondence (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51476/25]
Niamh Smyth Written 30 Sep 2025 · to Children
779. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will review correspondence regarding foster carers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51597/25]
John Lahart Written 30 Sep 2025 · to Children
780. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to provide a regional breakdown of the childcare providers who have withdrawn from core funding, including both the number and proportion of providers in Dublin; and the steps she plans to take to encourage these providers to return, so that parents are not left paying the equivalent of a mortgage for their childcare. [51601/25]
Naoise Ó Muirí Written 30 Sep 2025 · to Children
782. Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for an update on the granting of an extension for a childcare service (details supplied) under the building blocks improvement scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51625/25]
Emer Currie Written 30 Sep 2025 · to Children
783. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the total number of recipients of the national childcare scheme, by year from 2020 to date in 2025; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51727/25]
Emer Currie Written 30 Sep 2025 · to Children
784. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the total number of recipients of the national childcare scheme universal subsidy, by year from 2020 to date in 2025; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51728/25]
Emer Currie Written 30 Sep 2025 · to Children
785. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the total number of recipients of the national childcare income-assessed subsidy, by year from 2020 to date in 2025; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51729/25]
Emer Currie Written 30 Sep 2025 · to Children
786. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the total cost of the national childcare scheme, by year from 2020 to date in 2025; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51730/25]
Emer Currie Written 30 Sep 2025 · to Children
787. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the total cost of the national childcare scheme income-assessed subsidy, by year from 2020 to date in 2025; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51731/25]