Childcare Services

1167. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will provide an update on the Government's plans to further reduce the cost of childcare for families under the national childcare scheme; the timelines in place for the implementation of any additional cost-reduction measures; and the specific steps being taken to prevent the closure of early years and crèch…

1176. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 143 of 24 April 2024, to provide an update on the hiring of 300 therapy assistants to work on CDNTs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29497/25]

1196. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if the CDNT 5–west Galway city service is currently operating with a full cohort of staff; the roles within the west Galway city CDNT that are currently vacant; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29968/25]

1197. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if the CDNT 6–central Galway and east Galway city service is currently operating with a full cohort of staff; the roles within the central and east Galway city CDNT that are currently vacant; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29969/25]

1198. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if the CDNT 7–north Galway service is currently operating with a full cohort of staff; the roles within the north Galway CDNT that are currently vacant; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29970/25]

1199. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if the CDNT 8–east Galway and south Roscommon service is currently operating with a full cohort of staff; the roles within the east Galway and south Roscommon CDNT that are currently vacant; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29971/25]

1204. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality following the recent visit to a school (details supplied) by the Minister for Special Education, if she will respond to the urgent issue of a 7 year old child in that school’s autism class who is pre-speaking and has had no access to speech and language therapy, or any other form of therapy to date; and if she w…

1208. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she and her Departmental officials are aware of the shortage of creche and child-minding facilities in County Clare that cater for babies under 12 months-of-age; the measures her Department is taking to address this deficit; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30241/25]

1220. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her Department is carrying out a mapping exercise to identify the parts of the country where State intervention in the provision of childcare is most acutely required; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30364/25]

1221. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for a breakdown of the number of new childcare providers who have entered the sector in each of the past five years, by county; the number of childcare providers who have left the sector in each of the past five years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30365/25]

1233. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality her plans to examine the establishment of a professional register for childminders and early years educators, reflecting the professionalism of the sector as committed in the Programme for Government; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30377/25]

1235. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the engagement she has had with the with the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage in relation to a review of the 2001 childcare facilities for planning authorities to ensure childcare spaces are provided and put into use; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30379/25]

1236. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will provide an update on her plans to examine and expand the access and inclusion model and make it available to younger children; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30380/25]

1240. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the total number of services providing a baby room for babies aged 0-1, by county; the number of baby rooms available in each county in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30384/25]

1241. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of community childcare facilities who have entered the sector in each of the past five years, by county; and the number of community childcare providers who have left the sector in each of the past five years, by Local Authority; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30385/25]

87. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform if the immense challenges facing the childcare sector, including a lack of spaces, will be considered by the new infrastructure division of his Department and by the new accelerating infrastructure task force; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28049/25]

522. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of applications for funding under the building blocks extension scheme by organisations in County Galway; if the applicants were successful or otherwise; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28762/25]

356. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to provide an update on the assessment of need through the psychology service for a person (details supplied). [27757/25]

539. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she plans to record data on payroll as a percentage of the overall income of each early years and SAC service participating in her Department’s funding streams; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27106/25]

540. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she plans to record data on the overall percentage of deficit and up to surplus each early years and SAC service participating in her Department’s funding streams; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27107/25]

542. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the percentage portion of childcare costs that is made up by private fees; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27109/25]

555. Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the estimated average cost, per month, of full-day childcare, broken down by county, and the average cost nationally, for the most recently available time period, in tabular form. [27549/25]

559. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if there has been engagement with her Department on building a childcare facility in a location (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27661/25]

562. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her Department is aware of a situation presenting for parents of children attending a childcare service regarding a transfer of location (details supplied); and if correspondence will be considered with a view to providing a reply to the parents concerned. [27698/25]

127. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the progress being made on the urgent need for reform of core funding in order that it actually benefits both providers and parents, increase NCS subsidies to provide direct financial relief to families and in addressing the childcare crisis by ensuring sustainable funding for all providers to encourage more services…