Early Childhood Care and Education

751. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she is concerned that a naíonra (details supplied) in County Waterford is currently accommodated in an old and deteriorating prefabricated building; and if her Department has a plan in place to fund new and appropriate accommodation for this naíonra. [37821/25]

324. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the average waiting time for access to the ECCE scheme places per county; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36704/25]

329. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Education and Youth if her Department will investigate a matter (details supplied) and urgently advise of the reason for such a disparity of services between Cork and Kerry; if Kerry's children are not as equally deserving of crucial early intervention; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35190/25]

632. Deputy Martin Daly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she is aware of the significant shortfall in early years childcare provision in Boyle, County Roscommon (details supplied); if funding or support will be made available to develop suitable premises for additional childcare services in the area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35308/25]

312. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the reason there is only one speech and language therapist (SLT) working in the early intervention services team in Nenagh, County Tipperary and if there are any plans to increase that number as that SLT has to cover all of the north Tipperary area. [35162/25]

351. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Health the reason there is only one speech and language therapist (SLT) working in the early intervention services team in Nenagh, County Tipperary and if there are any plans to increase that number as that SLT has to cover all of the north Tipperary area. [35161/25]

71. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the steps she is taking to retain early years educators in the sector, and therefore retain capacity; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32746/25]

282. Deputy John Clendennen asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality her assessment of the Early Learning and Childcare Survey of Parents 2025 results; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31173/25]

1239. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the total number of Early Learning and Childcare and School Age Childcare closures, by county in 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30383/25]

1244. Deputy James Geoghegan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will consider expanding the access and inclusion (AIMS) model to support children below the current age of eligibility which is two years and eight months; the equivalent supports that exist for children who otherwise would qualify for AIMS but do not meet the age eligibility requirement; and if she will m…

1248. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the steps her Department is taking to ensure there is incentives for graduates to remain in the early years education sector; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30574/25]

283. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will address delays in social welfare payments for ECCE preschool staff and ensure timely processing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27917/25]

353. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality how the National Development Plan can be improved to ensure additional funding is allocated to childcare development, owing to the lack of spaces, unmanageable costs and inadequate salary levels facing the sector and parents; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28092/25]

354. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the measures being taken to promote greater flexibility in crèche drop-off policies, in view of concerns that rigid enforcement of arrival times, such as refusing entry for minor delays despite prior communication places undue pressure on working parents and fails to accommodate the realities of family life; and if…

355. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will examine recent childcare increases of 40% in a Dublin creche (details supplied); the action she is taking to ensure childcare costs are brought down; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27756/25]

357. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality when a response will issue to communications from a parent who urgently requires available childcare spaces in County Donegal (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27902/25]

360. 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. [28001/25]

361. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the first- 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. [28006/25]

363. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her attention has been drawn to the closure of a childcare centre (details supplied); if her Department is engaging with the owners to ensure the families impacted are supported; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28328/25]

525. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality when the next round of building blocks capital programme for early learning and childcare will be open for applications; the process relating to same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26744/25]

541. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the metric which determined in September 2024 that ECCE only services needed to move from a minimum of €5,000 in core funding up to €14,000; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27108/25]

543. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the projected 2024/2025 costs of all the funding streams that are available to early years and SAC services, ECCE, NCS, core funding, AIM, LINC, graduate uplift and early start in a list form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27110/25]

544. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the percentage of graduate uplift funding that goes to graduate lead educators and graduate managers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27111/25]

545. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality when a child with AIMS requirements presents to pre-school, whether extra places at a school (details supplied) will be made available; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27157/25]

550. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if a draft will be published of the National Plan for Irish Provision in the EY and SAC sector; if this draft will undergo a public/stakeholder consultation before it is finalised; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27366/25]