Grace Boland (Dublin Fingal West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Having limited access to childcare options is inhibiting predominantly women from returning to the workplace and their absence is a loss to the economy. The one thing they need for return to the workplace is simply not available to them. Childcare needs vary from family to family and the Government needs to be dynamic and urgently support the delivery of more childcare options, especially in areas like my own constituency of Dublin Fingal West, which is one of the youngest areas in the country and is rapidly growing.

Supporting the childcare sector to plan and project numbers is key to meeting future demands. The programme for Government references resourcing and transforming the supply management unit within the Department of children to become a forward planning and delivery unit. The aim of this unit, which is very welcome, is to identify areas of need, forecast demand and deliver public supply within the childcare sector. While I very much support this idea and appreciate it will take time to implement, what work is the Government doing now to support the childcare sector to recruit, retain and deliver more childcare places?

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