Early Childhood Care and Education

1544. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 91 of 19 February 2026, if she can give an urgent update on this matter; the steps being taken to alleviate this situation; to provide a timeline to resolve this matter; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19263/26]

1545. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will commit to publishing aggregated childcare demand and capacity data, similar to the way information in education, housing and health planning is publicly shared, to support evidence-based planning and policy development; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19295/26]

1546. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will provide a ranking of local electoral areas showing where childcare unmet demand is highest; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19296/26]

1547. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the status of work by her Department to develop projected childcare demand modelling based on population growth and housing development; the timeline for completion; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19297/26]

1574. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of childcare places available in Cork; the steps she will take to meet the spiralling demand in the near future; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19757/26]

1575. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to provide an update on the recently launched, State-led early learning and childcare services capital funding model; the way she will ensure that projects will be highlighted and places delivered promptly; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19758/26]

1576. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will provide an update on an expression of interest from Cork City Childcare for a service in Glanmire under the state-led early learning and childcare services capital fund; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19759/26]

1606. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the current number of registered early learning and care places available in Galway City (details supplied), by age category, zero to one year, one to two years, and two to five years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20246/26]

1607. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether her Department holds data on the number of children currently on waiting lists for early learning and childcare services in Galway City (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20247/26]

1608. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the specific measures her Department is taking to address the shortage of early learning and care places for children under two years of age in Galway City (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20248/26]

1609. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether Galway City is being considered as a priority location for the development of the planned State led early learning and childcare services announced by her Department (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20249/26]

1610. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the timeline families in Galway city can reasonably expect regarding the expansion of childcare capacity in the area, particularly for children under two years of age (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20250/26]

212. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to confirm whether early learning and care providers delivering the Early Childhood Care and Education Programme exclusively from their own private property are exempt from liability for commercial rates; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16946/26]

242. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether guidance has issued to the Valuation Office and to local authorities to ensure a consistent national approach to the rateability of early childhood care and education providers operating from private property; if so, to provide details of such guidance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [169…

530. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Health if she is aware of the case of a child whose application for placement (details supplied) was refused solely on jurisdictional grounds despite the absence of any equivalent specialised preschool provision in their own catchment area; whether CHO boundary rules override clinical recommendations in such circumstances; the mechanism which exist…

226. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will support an increase in the ECCE rates for childcare providers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17442/26]

232. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality which early education centres are receiving funding in the State; and the total number of children attending at that level; and how many of these centres are providing the service in full Irish and what number of children are involved and can the issue be discussed. [17748/26]

754. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether providers delivering the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme only, are liable for commercial rates; to indicate if any assessment has been undertaken regarding the financial sustainability of ECCE-only services in light of commercial rates and other overhead costs; to clarify whether serv…

757. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the capital funding supports currently available to early years providers and crèches seeking to expand their premises in order to accommodate additional childcare places; and whether any funding streams exist to assist with the purchase or provision of temporary accommodation while permanent structures are being p…

766. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she has considered the views of ‘An Independent Review of the Early Childhood Care and Education Programme in Ireland’ in relation to the impact of the rigid age eligibility for the ECCE programme; if her attention has been drawn to the review’s suggestion for a degree of flexibility, especially for children who…

768. Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to confirm the membership of the committee responsible for the adjudication of sites for the State-led provision of childcare and early years education services; the number of times it has met since its inception; the number of applications it has adjudicated on and the location of same. [17161/26]

769. Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the progress of the implementation of a single agency for early years and school age care. [17162/26]

436. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration whether he has issued any policy direction, guidance, or formal interdepartmental coordination framework since 1 January 2025 concerning safeguarding disclosure or re-vetting arrangements in the early years sector; whether such coordination has been formalised through memorandum, circular, or agreed protocol at Gove…

438. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration further to Parliamentary Question No. 833 of 4 February 2026, if he will publish the report of the Garda Vetting Review Group. [16078/26]

439. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the timetable for the introduction of proposed changes to the Garda vetting process; the nature of those changes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16079/26]