Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)

I do not disagree with the Deputies. I am conscious this is a logjam and a challenge that should not be there in the first instance. I have always been of the view that where you have housing, you need to have early learning and childcare facilities. You need to have schools. You need to have, as the Deputy said, community developed around it. There are too many stumbling blocks and it has been made far too easy for people to renege on early learning and childcare provision.

Honestly, the date and time is not within my gift and the Deputies will appreciate that. That is a matter for the Minister for housing but I have engaged with him and will continue to do so. Significant work has been undertaken by the working group, some in 2024 and throughout 2025. I have said previously we could not do the work without the engagement we have from the city and county managers and the planning and land use committee. I acknowledge an important step was when we met with individual local authorities where they were sharing their experience of applying the guidelines, what worked and what did not work. I acknowledge it works better in some places than in others. I will continue to engage with the Minister for housing on this matter as a priority.

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