Childcare Services

802. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to confirm that consideration would be given to permitting a child (details supplied) attending an ECCE service before commencing primary school in the autumn to continue to attend a school aged childcare facility during the easter break and summer months, as the family have been informed that due t…

810. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth when a child (details supplied) in County Donegal will receive an urgent appointment with the CDNT; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16791/25]

811. Deputy Seán Fleming asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if increased respite care will be provided for a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16825/25]

813. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of student placements of physiotherapists that were offered for CDNTs in 2023 and 2024, in tabular form. [16880/25]

836. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of childcare providers signed up to core funding in 2022, 2023, 2024 and to date in 2025, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17401/25]

845. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth further to Parliamentary Question No. 1383 of 19 March 2025, if she is aware that the childcare facility (details supplied) has had to significantly increase fees for parents going forward; if she is conscious of the impact this will have on parents; if the increase is correct under NCS rules; if …

856. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of vertebral body tethering surgeries that have been performed in Children’s Health Ireland hospitals to date. [16524/25]

860. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health if any research on vertebral body tethering is being conducted or has been completed in Children’s Health Ireland; if so, the scope of this research; and whether any findings have been published. [16528/25]

861. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the reason CHI has removed the spine register, which previously served as an early warning system for new techniques such as vertebral body tethering; and the alternative measures in place to monitor scoliosis surgery outcomes. [16529/25]

868. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health if HIQA has been made aware if any vertebral body tethering procedures have been performed in CHI despite not being formally approved for use by the HSE; and if any regulatory concerns have been raised in this regard. [16536/25]

258. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth what internal work her Department has carried out in relation to public childcare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15996/25]

259. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if her attention has been drawn to the fact that many parents in the Tallaght area are facing difficulties with securing creche spaces (details supplied); will the Minister instruct her Department to ensure that creche places become available; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16002/…

264. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth her plans to deal the lack of childcare spaces in Dublin Bay north; to provide the number of childcare facilities in Dublin Bay north; the projected need for childcare spaces from 2025 to 2030; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16264/25]

265. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the reason for the exclusion of capital expenditure when assessing the profitability of childcare service providers; if this practice will be reviewed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16267/25]

266. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if she has, since taking office, examined the current overall funding model for formal childcare services in Ireland; if she believes that the model requires reform; if it will be formally reviewed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16268/25]

267. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the overall breakdown of State, parent and other expenditure in the childcare sector in Ireland, each year from 2019 to 2024 and to date in 2025, including total overall expenditure, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16269/25]

270. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the schedule of fees for all childcare providers operating ten or more childcare facilities and availing of Core Funding in the years 2021 to 2024, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16322/25]

518. Deputy Ryan O'Meara asked the Minister for Social Protection if any financial supports are available for children's eyecare costs (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15613/25]

646. Deputy Fionntán Ó Súilleabháin asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth regarding a childcare centre (details supplied), the reason only six days’ notice was given to notify the service of the decision to remove food provision at this facility; if the core funding can be adjusted to facilitate food services; what supports are available to childcare faciliti…

665. Deputy Joe Cooney asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the level of funding provided to each city and county childcare committee in 2022, 2023 and 2024, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15609/25]

781. Deputy Ryan O'Meara asked the Minister for Health the financial supports available for a child’s eyecare costs, specifically eye tests, specialist lenses, and so on; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15575/25]

201. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if she is aware of a case (details supplied) in which a family have had their subsidised childcare hours slashed from 45 to 31 due to underattendance caused by frequent illness of the child; and if she will instruct her Department to look into this issue and ensure the family has appropriate childc…

644. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the supports to be provided to alleviate the financial and administrative burden the regulatory notice for school age services, issued on the 7 February 2025, places on service providers, especially school based school-aged childcare services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [133…

645. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if she is aware that children who start school at 4 years-of-age are permitted to attend in the 1:12 ratio, whereas children who may be 5.5 years-of-age who have not started school will not be permitted to attend at all without an early learning and care registration and a 1:8 ratio; if she will…

648. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if flexibility can be applied to parents claiming the national childcare scheme but wish to pick children up early from childcare on a regular basis and are suffering a loss due to this; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13427/25]