Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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504. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of childcare places currently available in County Kerry, broken down by childcare setting and age category; the number of children currently on waiting lists for childcare places in the county; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41340/26]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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Each year, Pobal compiles data from Early Learning and Care (ELC) and School Age Childcare (SAC) providers as part of the Early Years Sector Profile. Data for the Early Years Sector Profile is typically captured in May/June of each programme year and as such, that data is not yet to hand. While ELC and SAC offerings vary across service providers and the allocation of ELC or SAC places is flexible, the published capacity data provides an estimate of the number of children enrolled in ELC and SAC and the percentage of services with at least one vacant place at a given time. It should be noted that only services who are contracted to deliver at least one DCDE funded programme/scheme (i.e. ECCE, NCS, CCSP) are invited to take part in the survey.

Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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505. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she is aware of the cancellation of summer childcare provision for children due to commence primary school in September 2026 (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41342/26]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I am aware that the service in question has notified parents that it will not be running early learning and childcare provision this summer. I am advised by Kerry Childcare Committee that this is due to staffing issues.

Kerry Childcare Committee are currently engaging with families affected with a view to securing alternative places.

On the wider issue of staffing, I am aware that recruitment and retention is a challenge for all employers.

In general, these wider challenges are not caused by insufficient supply of staff, but by high levels of turnover. A significant contributor to that turnover is low pay and conditions in the sector.

Although the Government is the primary funder of the sector, it is not the employer and cannot directly set wages or conditions. The Joint Labour Committee is the formal mechanism established by which employer and employee representatives can negotiate minimum pay rates, which are set down in Employment Regulation Orders, and is independent in its functions.

Outcomes from the Joint Labour Committee process are supported by Government through Core Funding. In this programme year, 2025/26, Core Funding has increased by 6% to approximately €350 million with an additional €45 million in ring-fenced Core Funding provided to support services in meeting the increased cost of minimum pay rates in the sector.

More recently I announced another allocation of up to €15m of ring-fenced funding from September 2026, which amounts up to €45m for the full programme year, to support service providers with costs associated with possible increases in minimum rates of pay that may be negotiated via the independent Joint Labour Committee process.

A Sub-Group of the Early Learning and Childcare Stakeholder Forum is also working to address recruitment and retention challenges. The Sub-Group has advanced initiatives including:

• A Student Fast-track Process for recognition of studies to work in service out of term, which is currently open for student for the summer months.

• The assessment of unfinished qualifications, where people who may have started a relevant qualification but did not get to finish it, can have what they completed assessed for meeting qualification requirements

• An agreement to promote careers in the sector. A communications campaign is currently under development and will include a series of videos aimed at promoting careers in the sector.

A longer-term workforce strategy for the sector is also in place: "Nurturing Skills: The Workforce Plan for Early Learning and Care and School-Age Childcare, 2022-2028". Nurturing Skills aims to strengthen the ongoing process of professionalisation for those working in the sector.

Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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506. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if consideration is being given to the establishment of a targeted summer childcare support scheme for working families during school holiday periods, particularly for children transitioning from preschool to primary school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41343/26]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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Many registered early learning and childcare providers operate year round and provide early learning and childcare places throughout the summer months.

These places are subsidised by the National Childcare Scheme (NCS) for a maximum of 45 hours per week.

Local Childcare Committees can provide details of such services to parents seeking a place.

In addition, children who meet the criteria and are entering primary school in September 2026 are eligible for the Summer Programme, operated by the Department of Education and Youth. The Summer Programme is for children with complex special educational needs and those at risk of educational disadvantage.

There is also wider initiatives to support with the transition to primary school.

The Department funds the National Parents Council to deliver both face to face and online transitions meetings for parents with children leaving pre-school and starting primary school.

The Little Library initiative which is funded by the Department in collaboration with the Local Government Management Agency and Libraries Ireland offers a free little library bag for every child starting primary school at their local library. The bag contains 2 books on the themes of making friends and starting school and resources for children and parents on transitions. Over 40K of these bags are collected each year.

The Tús Máith pilot in 5 counties in the Northwest of the country which is a collaboration between Childcare Committees and Education Centres connects pre-schools and schools in these counties to connect educators, teachers, parents and children to work together on making preparations for each of the children starting school. The learning from this pilot is informing policy.

The Department also runs a digital campaign every summer to give families all the information they may need to support both transitions in early learning and care and the transition from pre-school to school. The is a campaign on social media and is supported by the Let's Get Ready website which is a one stop shop for all information a parent might need.

The Department is currently working with the Department of Education and Youth and the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and science on a National Transitions Policy. The Inter-Departmental Group has been established to develop the policy in 2026. The Group is working collaboratively with all relevant stakeholders to co-create the National Transitions Policy.