1096. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the steps being taken by her Department to address the ongoing issues experienced by early learning and childcare providers across the country in using the HIVE system, particularly the significant difficulties and administrative problems reported by providers throughout the summer; whether her Department has assessed the impact t…
Topics / Childcare Services
A subject heading for parliamentary questionsChildcare 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
| Month | Questions |
|---|---|
| January 2025 | 11 |
| February 2025 | 62 |
| March 2025 | 43 |
| April 2025 | 71 |
| May 2025 | 35 |
| June 2025 | 70 |
| July 2025 | 93 |
| August 2025 | 0 |
| September 2025 | 87 |
| October 2025 | 41 |
| November 2025 | 155 |
| December 2025 | 74 |
| January 2026 | 71 |
| February 2026 | 76 |
| March 2026 | 55 |
| April 2026 | 78 |
| May 2026 | 107 |
| June 2026 | 144 |
| July 2026 | 64 |
| August 2026 | 0 |
| September 2026 | 38 |
| October 2026 | 63 |
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.
The TDs who asked most
Members of the Government answer questions rather than ask them. Each question counts once.
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130
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88
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70
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69
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47
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40
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36
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33
Asked of
Debated under the same heading
Debates whose official heading is exactly these words.
The questions
442. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children, by county, who benefited from supports under the national childcare scheme in each of the years 2023, 2024, 2025, and 2026, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54502/26]
443. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of State-led Early Learning and Childcare Capital Programme projects that are proposed for Fingal; the location of each proposed project; the current status of each project; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54366/26]
444. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether any sites in Fingal have been identified, approved in principle or progressed under the State-led Early Learning and Childcare Capital Programme; if she will provide details of each site; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54367/26]
445. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether services delivered under the State-led Early Learning and Childcare Capital Programme will be operated exclusively by not-for-profit providers; and whether any private for-profit providers will be eligible to operate State-owned facilities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54368/26]
446. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the way in which operators for State-led early learning and childcare services will be selected; whether there will be an open competitive process; the governance, financial, quality and operational criteria that will apply; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54369/26]
447. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of operators to date, that have been selected or approved under the State-led Early Learning and Childcare Capital Programme; the name of each operator and the associated project; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54370/26]
448. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the criteria used by her Department to select sites for investment under the State-led Early Learning and Childcare Capital Programme; the weighting given to unmet demand, deprivation, rurality, accessibility, value-for-money and project readiness; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54371/26]
449. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of projects that have been approved in principle nationally under the State-led Early Learning and Childcare Capital Programme; the number of persons that remain under assessment, by county and project; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54372/26]
450. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether her Department plans to publish the Forward Planning Model, appraisal methodology and scoring framework used to identify and prioritise projects under the State-led Early Learning and Childcare Capital Programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54373/26]
451. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether expressions of interest have been sought from prospective operators for any State-led childcare projects in Fingal; if so, the number of expressions of interest that were received; the number of these that were assessed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54374/26]
452. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the measures in place to ensure transparency in the selection of both sites and operators under the State-led Early Learning and Childcare Capital Programme; whether the scoring and evaluation of applications will be published; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54375/26]
469. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the measures that will be implemented to increase childcare capacity in areas such as Cavan town where parents are experiencing difficulty in children getting placements; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54689/26]
346. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the impact of recent fee caps and affordability measures on childcare costs for parents; the estimated average saving per family; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53767/26]
347. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of childcare providers in Cork city and county that have increased fees, reduced services or changed opening hours in each of the years 2022 to 2025 and to date in 2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53768/26]
348. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of childminders registered or engaged with the National Action Plan for Childminding in Cork city and county; the steps being taken to increase the number of regulated childminding places; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53769/26]
350. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of childcare services in Cork city and county currently operating at full capacity; the number with waiting lists; the number with vacancies; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53771/26]
351. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the projected demand for childcare places in Cork city and county over the next five years; the planned increase in supply to meet that demand; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53772/26]
357. Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will provide an update on a matter (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53869/26]
360. Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she is aware of the disparity whereby childcare providers operating on school grounds may be exempt from commercial rates, while providers delivering the same ECCE, NCS and afterschool services from independent premises are liable; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54241/26]
361. Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her Department has assessed the impact of commercial rates on the financial sustainability of private childcare providers, particularly those whose income is largely derived from State-funded childcare schemes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54242/26]
362. Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she has engaged with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage or Tailte Éireann regarding the treatment of private childcare providers under the commercial rates system; and if she will outline the cross-departmental work underway to ensure equitable treatment of providers. [54243/26]
363. Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will consider supporting legislative or regulatory changes to ensure that private childcare providers delivering ECCE, NCS and afterschool services are not disproportionately burdened by commercial rates; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54244/26]
668. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality her plans to address the shortage of childcare places across Waterford city and county; if she will consider Tramore as a pilot area for state-led childcare intervention; if she has considered correspondence from a group (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53043/26]
676. Deputy Daniel Ennis asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will provide an update on the number of childminders registered with Tusla to date since the implementation of the new childminding regulation in 2024; and to provide a breakdown of that uptake, per month, in tabular form. [53084/26]