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

Thomas Gould Written 19 Mar 2025 · to Children
1367. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth for an update on the reopening of Before 5. [11393/25]
Naoise Ó Muirí Written 19 Mar 2025 · to Children
1384. Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the measures her Department has considered to expand childcare places in response to concerns in relation to accessibility; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11593/25]
Peadar Tóibín Written 19 Mar 2025 · to Children
1400. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the estimated cost to provide a €100 a week cap for childcare costs; and if she will consider the introduction of such a support for families. [11889/25]
Peadar Tóibín Written 19 Mar 2025 · to Children
1401. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the estimated cost for the State to make an annual €3,000 childcare subvention available to mothers and fathers who choose to stay at home within the first three years of the child's life; and if she will consider the introduction of such a subvention. [11890/25]
Ciarán Ahern Written 19 Mar 2025 · to Children
1406. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if she has considered amending the childminding services regulations 2024 to allow childminders employ assistants, or have emergency cover, for incidents in which the childminder is unavoidably occupied such as for medical appointments or illness; if not, the reasons why; and if she will make a statement on the matt…
Colm Burke Written 19 Mar 2025 · to Children
1408. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the measures that will be taken 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, as per the Programme for Government; the timeline for this reduction; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11…
Barry Ward Written 19 Mar 2025 · to Children
1414. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the position regarding the gradual reduction of childcare costs as committed to in the Programme for Government; the steps she has taken to progress this policy; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12103/25]
Shane Moynihan Written 19 Mar 2025 · to Children
1442. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the scoping carried out with regard to the opening of additional childcare facilities in Adamstown, Lucan. [12570/25]
Jen Cummins Written 6 Mar 2025 · to Children
368. Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the status of her plans for affordable childcare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10276/25]
Mairéad Farrell Written 6 Mar 2025 · to Children
371. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if she will consider creating more peer support for children who have lost a parent; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10454/25]
Claire Kerrane Written 5 Mar 2025 · to Children
147. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if she will establish a fund to assist childcare facilities to purchase a generator to ensure that when power is lost, they can open as normal, to ensure education for children is not interrupted and parents are not left without this essential service, as seen following storm Éowyn; and if she will make a statement…
Ciarán Ahern Written 4 Mar 2025 · to Children
610. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the steps that should be taken by a parent in Dublin south west when no childcare places are available for children under two years-of-age; how she intends to increase the number of affordable childcare places in the constituency; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9231/25]
Robert O'Donoghue Written 4 Mar 2025 · to Children
613. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the measures her Department is taking to ensure that there are enough early childhood education and care and school age childcare spaces made available to parents of children in Fingal west given the rising demand caused by rapid population growth; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9330/25]
Erin McGreehan Written 4 Mar 2025 · to Children
616. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of childcare spaces available in County Louth from 2020 to 2024, in tabular form; and what actions have been taken to increase those numbers over the years. [9360/25]
James Lawless Written 4 Mar 2025 · to Children
629. Deputy James Lawless asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will examine timelines for the further reductions in child care costs under the national childcare scheme (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9792/25]
Paul McAuliffe Written 27 Feb 2025 · to Children
353. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the supports available to grandparents that look after their grandchildren on a full-time basis; if she is planning additional supports; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8750/25]
James Geoghegan Written 27 Feb 2025 · to Children
367. Deputy James Geoghegan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth further to Parliamentary Question No. 322 of 20 February 2025, if she will highlight by reference to the specific text provided in the reply which sentence or set of sentences replied to the specific question asked; if she agrees that the commitment contained in the programme for Government as set out in the parli…
Erin McGreehan Written 25 Feb 2025 · to Children
118. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of children in Louth benefiting from the national childcare scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7726/25]
Peter 'Chap' Cleere Oral 25 Feb 2025 · to Children
120. Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of children in Kilkenny benefiting from the national childcare scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7547/25]
Mattie McGrath Oral 25 Feb 2025 · to Children
122. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the efforts being made to urgently address the crisis within the childcare system, with many childcare facilities unable to attract and retain staff; whether childcare facilities struggling to retain staff and at risk of closure can receive additional funding to improve the staff pay and conditions; and if she will…
James Geoghegan Oral 25 Feb 2025 · to Children
123. Deputy James Geoghegan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth what steps she intends to take to implement the programme for Government commitment to extend the national childcare scheme to childminders working in the family home with sensible regulations that fit home-based care; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7879/25]
Paul Lawless Written 25 Feb 2025 · to Children
134. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth how she plans to improve retention and quality in early years education, considering early childhood educators have had to fight for wages and conditions in the sector that are unsustainable. [7895/25]
Claire Kerrane Written 25 Feb 2025 · to Children
140. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if she will commit to a timely, thorough review of Core funding, as committed to in the Programme for Government; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7764/25]
Claire Kerrane Written 25 Feb 2025 · to Children
141. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if she will outline her plans to increase childcare places to meet growing demand; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7763/25]
Pádraig O'Sullivan Written 25 Feb 2025 · to Children
143. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if she will outline all grant funding available to public and private operators of childcare facilities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7549/25]