Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

As I said in reply to the Deputy's earlier question on the development of a child care infrastructure, we are not going to correct the issue overnight. However, we intend to work on ensuring that we have a more comprehensive child care system.

Local authorities are under a statutory obligation to levy rates on any property used for commercial purposes. The Act maintains that commercial facilities, including all private for-profit child care facilities, are liable for rates. As the Deputy highlighted, services participating in the early childhood care and education, ECCE, programme are exempt if their expenses are defrayed mainly by the Exchequer. Any top-up fee or the use of the facility outside the sessional period will remove the rates exemption.

We have discussed this matter with the responsible Department and highlighted the need for consistency. Where community services are exempt, this approach should be applied across the country. I will pursue the matter further.

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