Early Childhood Care and Education

453. Deputy Paula Butterly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the reason a childcare service in Dundalk, County Louth (details supplied) that is willing to expand its capacity was excluded from the relevant childcare expansion scheme, particularly given the high demand for childcare places in the area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54398/26]

454. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to urgently intervene and ensure that a pre-school (details supplied) can reopen given the shortage in pre-school places in the area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54403/26]

339. Deputy Brian Brennan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if assistance can be offered to a preschool (details supplied); the reason funding was ceased; if AIM level 7 funding will be reinstated; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53933/26]

343. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children currently on waiting lists for early learning and childcare places, including children under one, one to two years, two to three years, ECCE age and school-age childcare, by county and age category; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53764/26]

344. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of early years educators and childcare workers employed in Cork city and county in each of the years 2022 to 2025 and to date in 2026; the number of vacancies notified or estimated in the sector; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53765/26]

345. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the steps being taken to address recruitment and retention challenges in the early learning and childcare workforce, including pay, conditions and career progression; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53766/26]

349. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children with additional needs accessing early learning and childcare services in Cork city and county; the supports available under the access and inclusion model; the number of applications approved in each of the years 2022 to 2025 and to date in 2026; and if she will make a statement on the ma…

198. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her Department intends to operate a fee increase assessment process for the programme year 2026/2027; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52255/26]

360. Deputy Catherine Callaghan asked the Minister for Education and Youth for an update on her plans to increase the numbers of early intervention classes nationally; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51212/26]

675. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality further to Parliamentary Question Nos. 485 and 486 of 28 May 2026, if room closures, rather than the service overall closure has any impact on core funding payable; if in the case of a multi-room service where different rooms close at different times, almost on rotation, whether this breached core funding rules, gi…

689. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the amount set aside for the Sustainability Fund in her Department in each of the years since it was introduced; and the amount paid out in each of those years, in tabular form. [51889/26]

551. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration whether his Department is engaged with the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth regarding potential reforms to Garda vetting and safeguarding-disclosure arrangements in the Early Years sector; and if he will outline the status of any such engagement. [48848/26]

689. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will consider reducing the minimum entry age for children attending naíonraí, without altering eligibility for the ECCE scheme, in order to support enrolment and the sustainability of rural early years settings such as (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48847/26]

699. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if the case of an early education centre (details supplied) which is in financial difficulty will be examined; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49170/26]

702. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the steps being taken to address delays in the Garda vetting process, particularly for the early education and childcare sector, where providers report waiting up to eight weeks for vetting clearance for new employees; the impact these delays are having on services’ ability to meet statutory staff-to-child ratio…

412. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her attention has been drawn to the gap in childcare provision affecting children who have completed their final year under the ECCE scheme, are due to commence primary school in late August, but are not currently classified as school-age children for the purposes of accessing school-age summer camp services; if sh…

10. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for an update on the actions being taken by her Department to support ECCE-only services that are receiving commercial rates bills; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47448/26]

64. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for an update in respect of the development of policy for immersive Irish-medium early years education; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47344/26]

615. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her Department has conducted, or is conducting, a review into early years professional terminology, given that there is a clear preference across the sector to use early childhood education and care in place of Early Learning and Care, as is custom internationally; the timeframe for the potential publication o…

648. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the strategy in place to provide continuing professional development in the early years sector; the plans to expand CPD offerings for educators working in the sector; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47838/26]

649. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the subject areas that are a priority for continuing professional development in the early years sector; the number of CPD fields of study that will be made available; the total budget figure that her Department has committed to the provision of CPD; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47839/26]

650. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the steps being taken to ensure continuing professional development is available across early years services statewide; if she accepts that widespread access to CPD is vital to the implementation of the Aistear framework and creating inclusive learning environments; and if she will make a statement on the matter. …

651. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to outline the verification and assurance process that is implemented in the Department to ensure that continuing professional development standards are met in the early years sector; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47841/26]

430. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 1596 of 9 June 2026, if flexibility in terms of the eligibility for the ECCE scheme will be shown in the case of the person; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46456/26]

437. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the estimated cost of providing an additional €10,000 to every naíonra in the State; the first year and full year cost of funding a year free of charge at an Irish-medium naíonra for every pre-school aged child living in the Gaeltacht currently availing of a pre-school service funded under the ECCE scheme; and t…