Childcare Services

1866. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if there is any other grant funding outside of Building Blocks provided via Pobal or any other agency for new builds for childcare facilities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19804/25]

1876. Deputy Séamus McGrath asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if she will consider reviewing the national childcare scheme to allow for some flexibility in the operation of the scheme, particularly in relation to the hours children are required to stay at a facility (details supplied). [20070/25]

1883. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the way his Department plans to prevent service providers that have pulled out of the core funding scheme for childcare from introducing fee increases on service users; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20219/25]

1917. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth her Department’s plans to increase creche places in Fingal, specifically in Portmarnock, Donabate and Swords; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20495/25]

1942. Deputy Maeve O'Connell asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to provide a list of childcare providers currently operating in Dublin Rathdown, along with the number of such providers currently in receipt of core funding; the number of such providers that have requested an increase in core funding; the number of such providers that have left the core fund…

1953. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth for an update on Programme for Government commitments since taking office to review and increase core funding for childcare providers;; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16252/25]

2014. Deputy Ryan O'Meara asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No.781 of 1 April 2025, the reason a child (details supplied) was not eligible for any support through the community ophthalmic services scheme despite the child receiving their prescription from the ophthalmologist and being under the age of 12; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18755/25]

335. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the steps being taken to increase the allocation of therapy services to a school (details supplied). [18224/25]

336. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if an immediate assessment has been made of the therapy needs of children attending a school (details supplied). [18225/25]

337. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the innovative immediate, short-term solutions being taken or considered to address the shortage of therapist services to a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18226/25]

346. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if her Department has assessed the current availability and capacity of childcare services in the East Wall and Sheriff Street areas of Dublin, in light of the imminent completion of approximately 600 new residential units; whether there are plans to establish new childcare facilities or expand exi…

347. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth her plans to deal with the critical shortage of affordable childcare services in Carlow and Kilkenny which is placing a huge financial pressure on working families; her further plans to develop a publicly-funded, community-based early years education and childcare model; the number of childcare…

365. Deputy Johnny Mythen asked the Minister for Health the number of children waiting for psychology, speech and language therapy and occupational therapy in primary care, in County Wexford; the corresponding waiting time in weeks, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18113/25]

366. Deputy Johnny Mythen asked the Minister for Health the number of clinical sessions typically offered to children and adolescents attending the CHO5 primary care speech and language therapy services; if these clients are placed on another waiting list following discharge in the event that they require ongoing support; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18114/25]

233. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if she is aware that there is no definition for Naíonraí (Irish immersion early years education) and no public directory of locations of Naíonraí for parents seeking this option for their child; if she will rectify this as part of the Comprehensive Action Plan to further the development of Irish…

234. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to provide an update on the Comprehensive Action Plan to further the development of Irish Language Provision in Early Learning and Care settings and Childcare for School-Aged Children; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17951/25]

235. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if she will provide a draft copy of the Comprehensive Action Plan to further the development of Irish Language Provision in Early Learning and Care settings and Childcare for School-Aged Children; the persons or bodies engaged with as part of the process to ensure that the action plan is collabo…

236. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if she is aware of the drastic fall in Naíonraí outside of Gaeltacht areas across the State; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17953/25]

237. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if she will consider bringing back mentoring of Naíonraí as was previously in place; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17954/25]

238. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if new childminding regulations are to be extended to nannies and au pairs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17955/25]

241. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth her plans to progress the Programme for Government commitment to progressively reduce the cost of childcare to €200 per month per child through the national childcare scheme and explore options to cap costs for larger families. [17997/25]

242. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth her plans to progress the programme for Government commitment to ensure childcare providers’ fees are open, transparent and equitable and readily available to parents. [17998/25]

793. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth when Cavan and Monaghan CDNTs will be reconfigured in line with the new HSE regional structures; if the new configuration will have any impact on the ability of the CDNTs to address vacancies within the services and reduce the waiting times for children in need of assessments or services; and if sh…

794. Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to outline the process for a child to be diagnosed with autism; the timeline and application process; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16561/25]

800. Deputy Ann Graves asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth her plans to increase the number of crèche facilities in the Fingal east constituency given the increasing population of the Swords area of Dublin; the contact has her Department had with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage to ensure there are an adequate number of creches to me…