Joe Neville (Kildare North, Fine Gael)

I want to speak about a key issue impacting many people in north Kildare. Most likely it is impacting people throughout the country. This is the provision of childcare facilities. I have spoken to parents in Kilcock, Leixlip, Celbridge and Maynooth who are really struggling. It is a key issue in the programme for Government. We also know from speaking to providers that they are struggling to get the correct facilities. I want to focus on three specific areas. These are the expansion of afterschool care in school buildings and campuses owned by the State, the plan to change the guidelines to ensure we have the right properties built in new housing estates because it does not seem to be happening, and encouraging State-backed investment to deliver facilities as the initial cost of building these facilities seems to be a big barrier to entry for new providers.

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