Early Childhood Care and Education

2480. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the position regarding the legal basis that would allow childcare facilities to charge parents a non-refundable deposit; if this is permitted, if there is an upper cap on the price that can be charged in this regard; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25145/26]

2481. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for an update on her earlier commitment to undertake a call for proposals as part of the European Social Fund Plus: Employment, Inclusion, Skills and Training (EIST) Programme 2021-2027 under the Gender Equality objective in 2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25152/26]

2493. Deputy Johnny Guirke asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will consider acquiring a property (details supplied) under the early learning and childcare capital programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25330/26]

2494. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for an update on the delivery of a searchable price comparison website for parents as set out in the recommendations of the Partnership for the Public Good; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25351/26]

2495. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of childcare services that applied to the extended building blocks scheme; the number of those that were granted their application; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25352/26]

2496. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for an update on the progress of reviewing and updating the existing Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion Charter and Guidelines, and ensuring these remain a contractual requirement for early years and school age care settings as set out in the recommendations of the Partnership for the Public Good; and if she wil…

2497. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she is aware that a professional association for early years educators and SAC practitioners has been established with sufficient organisational scale to carry out the core functions expected of a professional association for the sector; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25354/26]

2498. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to provide an update on the development of a national policy on the key person approach across ELC and SAC settings, and develop training and resources for its initial roll-out, as recommended under Partnership for the Public Good; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25355/26]

2499. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for an update on efforts to examine the scope to use micro-credentials in CPD opportunities in ELC and SAC, as recommended under Partnership for the Public Good; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25356/26]

2500. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for an update on the public consultation process on the development of an induction process as recommended under Partnership for the Public Good; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25357/26]

2503. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for an update on the issue of core funding for early years and childcare settings given the increasing number of creches withdrawing from the scheme; if she is considering increasing core funding; if any other measures are being taken to help providers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25414/26]

2504. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she is aware that a creche (details supplied) has withdrawn from core funding; the measures that can be taken to help keep fees for parents low while ensuring the creche remains sustainable; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25415/26]

2507. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of childcare providers in Dublin that have withdrawn from or indicated an intention to withdraw from the core funding scheme in 2025 and to date in 2026, broken down by county and by service type, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25465/26]

2508. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she acknowledges the concerns raised by childcare providers and parents regarding the operation of the core funding scheme, particularly in circumstances where providers have indicated that participation is no longer financially viable due to fee caps and operating costs; the steps she is taking to review the s…

2512. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her attention has been drawn to a childcare provider (details supplied) who have recently announced that they will be withdrawing from the core funding scheme; if her Department have been in touch with the childcare provider; if she will consider meeting with the childcare provider to discuss alternative arra…

2515. Deputy Joe Neville asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her Department can confirm that, where it can be demonstrated that a childcare provider was unable to access, complete or accept a core funding agreement due to failures within the hive system, errors in provider data or the absence of effective support structures, the provider will be deemed to have met the requi…

2519. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she has considered a location for the State-led childcare programme (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25759/26]

2537. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if there will be a review of the ECCE eligibility cut-off dates to eliminate the unfair disadvantage faced by children born in early January (details supplied). [26031/26]

2553. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if students who have just completed their first/second year of studies in the early childhood education and care (level 8) students at Munster Technological University, Tralee, could be eligible to work in childcare services during the summer periods despite not having completed work placement (details supplied…

2568. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if an application for assistive technology under AIM will be considered for a person (details supplied) in advance of their being enrolled in an ECCE programme given the technology will assist the individual in their current childcare setting and will already be in place for their entry to ECCE; and if she will make…

35. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht his engagement with the Department of Children, Disability and Equality to ensure sustainable provision of Irish-medium early years services. [22529/26]

412. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to outline a clear timeline for the evaluation of options to amend the ECCE eligibility criteria which is currently underway; and if flexibility to reintroduce multiple entry points such as January and April to ensure that "two years of free preschool" is a reality for all children, regardless of the month they were …

817. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the rational for ending the ECCE split-place exemptions from the 2026/2027 programme year. [21779/26]

818. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the impact assessment that was undertaken for the ending of the ECCE split-place exemptions in rural and oversubscribed areas; and if there is scope to reinstate the exemptions for families with no choice but to divide their childcare due to lack of availability. [21780/26]

1481. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality when pre-school fees will reduce in line with the Programme for Government; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18255/26]