Emer Currie (Dublin West, Fine Gael)

I thank the Minister. A commitment was made in the programme for Government to increase childcare supply by building or acquiring State-led facilities. There are 43,000 children on waiting lists for early learning, childcare and school-aged care places. In our planning system, the only provision to safeguard land for childcare facilities is a basic formula from 2001 which allocates 20 childcare places for every 75 homes. It is rudimentary and littered with loopholes. One-bedroom apartments are not included in the calculation and builders can secure an exemption by pointing to other childcare facilities in an area, even if they have waiting lists. Sometimes facilities are not built.

The guidelines are literal in their application. For example, if there are two adjacent applications for 70 homes there would be no childcare facility. If we are ever to meet the demand for childcare places in local communities, we need to effectively link the delivery of new housing with the delivery of childcare places, and that is our opportunity to acquire State-led facilities. If the Minister is looking for a practical overview of existing guidelines, I have spoken about them extensively in the Chamber.

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