1581. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if data is kept in relation to ancillary staff not in the ERO; and if the total gross wages for ancillary staff in the sector will be provided. [59509/25]
Topics / Early Childhood Care and Education
A subject heading for parliamentary questionsEarly Childhood Care and Education
521 questions from 96 TDs, between 22 January 2025 and 22 October 2026.
521
questions
506 written, 15 oral
96
TDs have asked
11
parties and groups
Independents counted together
9
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 | 2 |
| February 2025 | 20 |
| March 2025 | 23 |
| April 2025 | 21 |
| May 2025 | 24 |
| June 2025 | 7 |
| July 2025 | 37 |
| August 2025 | 0 |
| September 2025 | 32 |
| October 2025 | 27 |
| November 2025 | 46 |
| December 2025 | 26 |
| January 2026 | 37 |
| February 2026 | 52 |
| March 2026 | 27 |
| April 2026 | 60 |
| May 2026 | 26 |
| June 2026 | 23 |
| July 2026 | 11 |
| August 2026 | 0 |
| September 2026 | 12 |
| October 2026 | 8 |
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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57
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33
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28
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22
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20
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19
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17
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15
Asked of
Debated under the same heading
Debates whose official heading is exactly these words.
The questions
1582. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the percentage of GDP spent on early years and SAC for 2025 and projected for 2026, in tabular form. [59510/25]
1583. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if it is the intention of her Department to act on recommendation 12 of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth report on the challenges facing ECEC sector (March 2025) and develop a multi-year plan to bring the spend on early years and SAC up to 1% of GDP. [59511/25]
147. Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality when the building blocks scheme will re-open for applications; and if funding will be available for the construction of new premises under the scheme. [57555/25]
159. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will publish a report (details supplied) on the review of processes linked to publicly funded early learning childcare schemes; if she will provide a summary of the report findings to Dáil Éireann; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57613/25]
675. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will review the terms of AIM funding to facilitate appropriate backpay for retention of relevant qualified staff following the successful receipt of advanced levels of AIM support; if she will review the possibility of reimbursing a service provider for additional costs incurred due to exceptional circumstances and delays in s…
676. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the average time to decision in AIM funding applications, by funding level, for each year 2021-2025 to date, in tabular form. [56591/25]
712. Deputy James Geoghegan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for an update on a report (details supplied) on the end-to-end processes linked to publicly funded early learning and childcare schemes/programmes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57021/25]
318. Deputy Joe Cooney asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the plans her Department has to progressively reduce the cost of early learning and childcare to €200 per month per child during the lifetime of the Government; the proposed timeline for the roll-out of this plan; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56098/25]
779. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality when she anticipates the new building blocks scheme will open for applications; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54949/25]
795. Deputy Joe Cooney asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the plans her Department has to progressively reduce the cost of early learning and childcare to €200 per month per child during the lifetime of the Government; if she will provide a proposed timeline for the roll-out of this plan; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55380/25]
295. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will provide an update on the pay increase for early childhood educators as agreed in 2024; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53991/25]
300. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her Department has given further consideration to undertake an audit of early learning and childcare facilities, which have been granted planning permission as part of large scale residential development; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53826/25]
501. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of pre-school places operating in the years 2020 to date in 2025, according to size such as <25, 25-49, 50-74, 75-99 and 100+. [52930/25]
502. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the status of a dedicated state agency for early learning and childcare, which would undertake functions currently carried out by Pobal Early Years, the 30 City and County Childcare Committees as well as operational functions currently undertaken by her Department. [52976/25]
503. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of early years and crèche services that have been withdrawn from the core funding scheme in each of the past five years, by county; and the specific measures her Department is taking to prevent further withdrawals and protect parents from fee increases. [52979/25]
504. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of early years and crèche facilities operating in Cork city and county in each of the past ten years; the net change in services over that period; and the actions being taken to address the decline in provision in Cork compared with the reported national increase. [52980/25]
520. Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality when an organisation (details supplied) will be receiving their contacts for the building blocks grant scheme. [53276/25]
523. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she plans to reduce the qualifying age for the AIM programme run by her Department from two years and nine months to the age of two, given the importance of early intervention for children; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53308/25]
386. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children registered for early years and school age childcare for the 2025-2026 programme year; the number which were registered for the previous three programme years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52627/25]
387. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children who are registered for ECCE for the years 2025-2026; the percentage of the total number of children registered for early years and school age childcare for the 2025-2026 programme year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52628/25]
388. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children who are registered for ECCE year two for the 2025-2026 programme; the percentage of the total number of children registered for early years and school age childcare for the 2025-2026 programme year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52629/25]
389. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she has engaged with early years providers regarding possible changes to the daily time allocated to the ECCE programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52630/25]
390. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her Department has engaged with early years providers regarding possible changes to the daily time allocated to the ECCE programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52631/25]
391. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to outline the details of the new maximum childcare fee cap for learning and childcare services, to include details on when the fee cap will be rolled out; the process for parents to apply; the qualifying criteria, if this is means tested, and what parents need to do to register for this cap; and if she will make a statement on the matt…