Emer Currie (Dublin West, Fine Gael)

I thank the Minister for his update. I agree with him that a lot of delivery has taken place.

I want to speak specifically about childcare, early learning and school-age care. I believe €795 million has been ring-fenced until 2030 for capital funding for the Department of Children, Disability and Equality. Over the last two years, €45 million was allocated to expand childcare capacity, which is positive. I think we all recognise that is not enough. In this year's budget, €36 million was set aside for 2026 to develop a new programme of acquisition and fit-out of State-led early years and school-age care settings to provide 700 additional places. We have the building blocks extension scheme, which will open in 2026 for extensions and modifications to deliver approximately 1,500 places. That is 2,200 places and it is still not where we need to be.

We have over 13,000 children under three on waiting lists, with infant places especially scarce due to a 35% drop in baby rooms over the term of the last Government. According to Dublin Chamber, 90% of firms claim a lack of affordable childcare is damaging recruitment and retention. Parents, primarily women, are struggling to return to work, as we know from talking to our constituents in Dublin West. This is an economic issue and an equality issue. It is biting and it is hurting families now. Childcare fees are still a second mortgage for families, particularly those whose fees have increased substantially because their crèches pulled out of core funding. We need a big vision of childcare but we also need big delivery. The Department of children is working on an action plan. Capital funding and infrastructure are absolutely key to that. Will the money be there to fund the delivery at the scale we need?

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