800. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to provide a breakdown, by individual early learning and care and school-age childcare services, of the total core funding payments made under the scheme in year three and year four, showing the amount received by each service in each year respectively; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45729/26]
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
806. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether funding under the early learning and care and school-age childcare schemes will continue to be paid to early education and care services that are required to close temporarily due to a water outage, where the service cannot operate in compliance with Tusla regulations (details supplied) because of the lack of water supply; …
813. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if there are plans to remove childcare facilities who are not in receipt of core funding, from ECCE and the national childcare scheme, given concerns have been raised by providers in relation to this; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45888/26]
1674. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of early learning and childcare providers who applied for and received support under the Sustainability Fund linked to Core Funding in each of the years 2023, to date 2026; the number of applications refused or withdrawn in the same period; the total value of funding allocated under the scheme; the breakdown, by county …
485. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will examine core funding guidelines, specifically in relation to temporary room closures (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40974/26]
486. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will extend reporting obligations by early years providers in core funding in order that it is not just in cases in which there is a closure for more than four weeks; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40975/26]
189. Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 1971 of 29 April 2025, the estimated cost of bringing early years graduates only NFQ Level 7, 8 and 9 under public-sector pay and conditions; and to provide an update. [40676/26]
935. Deputy Paula Butterly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 828 of 19 May 2026, if she will respond to further correspondence received (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40080/26]
995. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether her Department has carried out any assessment of the financial sustainability of small and sessional early years providers, including Montessori services; the number of such providers that have ceased operating in each of the past five years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39707/26]
996. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether consideration is being given to increasing ECCE and core funding scheme rates in light of rising operational costs, staffing pressures, insurance costs and the increasing level of additional needs support being provided by early years services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39708/26]
997. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the measures that are currently in place, or under consideration, to improve recruitment and retention within the early years sector, particularly among highly qualified Montessori and early years educators; whether consideration is being given to enhanced pay supports, pension provision or pathways toward parity of esteem with primary …
998. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the average time being taken currently (in weeks) to attain garda vetting to work in the early years and school age care sector as an educator; the number of applications that were received in 2025 and to date in 2026; the number of those applications have been approved and rejected; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39…
999. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if, ahead of Budget 2027, she will look at the amount being offered for children in early years who are sponsored to raise the sponsorship amount to ensure it meets the actual cost associated with a childcare place to ensure that providers are not left covering the difference and ensuring that children who are sponsored can access a p…
1026. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if a child (details supplied) can have an extra year on the ECCE programme before starting primary school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39955/26]
215. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her Department has undertaken costings for additional non-contact time for early years settings under core funding; and if so, the details of any costings undertaken by her Department regarding the cost of non-contact (detail supplied) time for early years educators and school age care settings. [37987/26]
216. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the estimated cost of an increase to the Graduate Lead Educator premium rate to €8.88; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37988/26]
217. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her Department has considered the cost of increasing the number of graduate lead educators working per room at a time under the core funding rules, as set out under Together for Better. [37989/26]
218. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the estimated cost of bringing early years graduates Level 8 and 9 under public-sector pay and conditions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37990/26]
828. Deputy Paula Butterly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to respond to correspondence (details supplied) in relation to early years education; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37674/26]
935. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether consideration will be given to reviewing the core funding policy in circumstances where a new provider takes over an already established early education and care service and fee increases arise; whether such cases can be assessed on an individual basis to ensure the ongoing financial viability of the service, while also saf…
467. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to confirm the policy for the refund of deposits for ECCE places in childcare facilities; if these deposits should be refunded if a parent gives ample notice of intention to relocate the child to another facility commencing in September 2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35909/26]
472. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the supports in place for new service providers of early years education and after school provision; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35975/26]
961. Deputy Johnny Guirke asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for an update on the Building Blocks Grant; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34469/26]
964. Deputy Johnny Guirke asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 2493 of 14 April 2026, if she will outline when local county childcare committees will receive funding for applications submitted under the early learning and childcare capital programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34472/26]
965. Deputy Johnny Guirke asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to provide a county-by-county breakdown of the number of city/county childcare committees currently in operation within the State; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34473/26]