852. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will extend the free fees initiative to the BSc programmes in education studies and early childhood education; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15704/25]
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
354. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the role her Department takes on the provision of early years education and care in rural communities; to outline their locations; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14933/25]
363. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth when she expects the planned review of core funding to take place; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14899/25]
365. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the current uptake on the ECCE scheme; the number of childcare providers involved in the scheme; to provide a breakdown of these by location; what plans she has to reform or amend the scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14940/25]
175. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if she will outline the Government's plan to introduce a maximum fee of €200 for early childhood and education places; how her Department intends to manage this fee reduction; and what measures will be in place to support providers to implement this while maintaining quality and ensuring affordability for parent…
269. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science his views on whether only two institutions in the country providing the early childhood education degree, the Marino Institute and the National College of Ireland, are excluded from the free fees initiative (FFI) scheme, when in fact other courses provided by these institutions are included in the FFI sc…
650. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the supports offered for upgrading and maintenance of playground facilities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13437/25]
655. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the percentage of the building blocks grant that has gone to private services versus community service in each year it has been available; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13454/25]
411. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if the age of eligibility for children starting the ECCE scheme can be reviewed (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13026/25]
412. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if she will consider a second lower age eligibility criteria for children starting the ECCE scheme to prevent families from missing out on a full-year of the scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13027/25]
413. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth when she intends to evaluate the eligibility of the ECCE programme, as outlined in the Programme for Government; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13028/25]
414. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth when she intends to explore making available an extra hour of ECCE each day to families in the second year of preschool, as outlined in the Programme for Government; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13029/25]
428. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if her attention has been drawn to a shortage of pre-school places in Shankill; the work her Department is doing to ensure that this is addressed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13107/25]
575. Deputy Paul Nicholas Gogarty asked the Minister for Education to proactively ensure that a preschool (details supplied) can continue to operate from a location; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10866/25]
1316. Deputy James Geoghegan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the steps she is taking to address issues with the national childcare scheme, as raised in correspondence (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10829/25]
1336. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the additional financial supports available to parents in receipt of a subsidy for each child attending creche when the provider of the service increases the fees; and the financial supports available generally to the sector. [11173/25]
1382. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if her attention has been drawn to the intended withdrawal of a childcare facility from the core funding agreement (details supplied); the actions being taken by the Department to ensure this can be avoided given the number of children and families relying on the service and given the commitments to lessen the finan…
1391. Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to confirm the rules regarding split place exemptions as part of the ECCE scheme. [11720/25]
1392. Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if a parent accepts two days per week in a community care facility (because there are only two days available), whether they may later apply and qualify for a split place exemption if they find a place in alternative childcare facility ECCE scheme for the remaining three days; and if she will make a statement…
1397. Deputy Brian Brennan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the steps being taken to develop ASD places in pre-school settings; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11833/25]
1428. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth her plans to enact key commitments outlined in the Programme for Government (details supplied) in relation to childcare provision; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12306/25]
1449. Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the total number of staff employed in early learning and care services who work directly with children. [12832/25]
1450. Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the average annual staff turnover rate in early learning and care services, nationwide and by county, in tabular form. [12833/25]
1451. Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of early learning and care services that have an annual staff turnover rate of 80% per year or more. [12834/25]
365. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth her plans to increase the number of early years education places; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8314/25]