Aidan Farrelly (Kildare North, Social Democrats)

I thank the Acting Chair for sitting so late. I also thank the Minister of State for her time here this evening. County Kildare is in desperate need of the Government's attention. Despite being the fifth most populated local authority area in the State, with a population four times larger than our neighbours in Carlow, we rarely receive the appropriate national attention required.

Kildare's growth continues to outpace that of the State. Since 1991, the population in Kildare has doubled to 247,000 in 2022. lf Kildare continues to grow at such a pace, we can expect to have a population of 500,000 people by 2050.

Kildare has the second youngest average age of all counties in Ireland and the fourth highest birthrate. One third of Kildare's population is aged zero to 24 years. One in four of Kildare's population is aged under 17 years.

I cite the wonderful work of the All-Ireland Research Observatory, Kildare LCDC and the county council which, following census 2022, embarked on a comprehensive project to better understand Kildare. This research was published in 2024. It includes some statistics about childcare and early years education. Childcare fees in County Kildare are above the State average. Kildare has the lowest rate of community-based childcare facilitates in the State, with only 5% of services classed as community services. The national average is 24%. The rate of our neighbours in Carlow is 35%.

Kildare is unique not just for its beauty, but also for its population. Communities are thriving but need and deserve Government attention. With population growth like we have seen in Kildare, it is not rocket science to understand that services and infrastructure will come under pressure. Whether it is housing, education, transport or healthcare, all too often the basics required to live and raise a family in Kildare require luck or patience to avail of them.

Today, however, we are here to discuss childcare and early years services in Kildare. I again thank the Minister of State for being here to listen. I am here to advocate on behalf of the hundreds of parents in Kildare with whom I have spoken about this issue alone: young parents who have either moved to Kildare in recent years, or who themselves have grown up and proudly remain in Kildare.

The common story is this. Having purchased a home or entered a tenancy agreement, the attention of the family turns to securing a place for their child in the local childcare facility. The chances are that they will be refused. I have heard stories of people taking days or weeks off work to just ring around and visit facilities in the hope of securing a place. They might be offered a spot on the waiting list but they will need to join a queue that is hundreds and hundreds long.

That is no reflection on the service. I do not know of one childcare facility in Kildare that is not operating at full capacity. Nonetheless, Government policy will not fix this problem. It is time to admit how difficult it is for parents, families, the incredible workers in the sector and service providers. The previous Government’s hope of wrapping up the development of childcare facilities in strategic housing developments has failed. There are too many examples of proposed childcare facilities lying idle for months, if not years. For as long as the Government relies on the private market alone to meet what is a public good, the childcare and early years education issues that remain will only continue to worsen, specifically in County Kildare.

I ask the Government to row in behind the county council, the LCDC and the childcare committee, and to put in a comprehensive public and community-based response to ensure every child and family has affordable access and an efficient service.

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