Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

91. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he has sought reports from the childcare committees in the various Dublin local authority areas on the availability of childcare for children under two years of age; if there are measures which could be taken in the short term to meet supply constraints; if he will request that local authorities undertake assessments of childcare supply needs as part of their five-year development plan exercises; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35723/22]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I think the Minister will appreciate the desperation of many parents who are looking for childcare for under-twos and, in a constrained supply framework, how prohibitive the costs can be. At the same time, local authorities, with their childcare committees, often see the standard of 20 childcare places per 75 new housing units developed not being properly enforced. I am anxious to see the Minister develop the capacity of local authorities to address this serious deficiency in Dublin.

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

In April a nationwide survey of capacity in early learning and childcare services was undertaken by city and county childcare committees. That survey was followed in May by the annual early years sector profile survey that is undertaken by Pobal. Approximately 89% of providers have already participated. Preliminary analysis of those data reveal vacancy rates for children under one and children aged one to two of 14% and 6%, respectively. Vacancy rates for children under one and children aged one to two in Dublin are close to that national average, with the exception of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, where vacancy rates for young children are lower than the national average.

The network of city and county childcare committees, CCCs, including in Dublin, are in a position to match children and families to services operating with vacant places. To address the issue of undersupply in the immediate term, CCCs are also proactively engaging with early learning and childcare services to explore the potential for services to increase capacity where there is evidence of undersupply.

A range of other steps are also being taken. The new core funding scheme, which the Department will roll out in September, will provide funding for services aligned to costs of delivery. That means that higher levels of funding will be available to services that cater for younger children, where costs of delivery are higher. I hope that this new approach to funding will encourage services to operate baby and toddler rooms where demand for them exists.

Some €70 million has been allocated to my Department through the revised national development plan, with the majority of that funding earmarked for new places.

Specifically, as for the Deputy's point about planning, I and some of my officials had a really useful meeting with about eight city and county planners about two months ago. We discussed the specific issue of the operation of the planning guidelines. The planners gave their perspectives as to what was and what was not working. We are considering that. Obviously, the legislative and regulation-making powers lie with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, not my Department. We will engage further with that Department because we are very much conscious, given the delivery of Housing for All and the very significant amount of building, that where childcare centres are provided, not only do they need to be appropriate but we also need to get them opened.

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I do not wish to dispute the findings of a survey, but I could bring the Minister to areas in Dublin Bay North where there is not 6% or 14% availability. I suppose it is always the case that there will be areas of acute shortage. A couple of childcare centres in my area closed down, which has provoked this question. There does not seem to be ready capacity to respond to that. What are the policy tools the Minister envisages to address a deficiency that is identified in a particular area? What are those tools we will have available to us under the proposed money he has set out?

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The quickest response is through core funding, which, per child, provides three times the amount of funding for services that have rooms for children under the age of one as opposed to, say, a room for school-aged childcare. We recognise that it is more expensive to provide a baby room or a toddler room, so core funding will provide additional support for services to open and to sustain such rooms. We are already seeing some services change their registration with Tusla and broadening their offering, and that is really important. Services are responding to the extra support that core funding has provided. In emergency situations we have the city and county childcare committees. Parents can ring them to find out if they know of services that have spare capacity. That can be a very practical help in the first instance.

As for the provision of extra capacity in the medium term, we are looking at the money we have invested from the NDP, €45 million for the provision of new places, and changes to the planning guidelines so we can better deliver new childcare facilities when new residential developments take place.

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Finally, how will the allocation of capital be structured? For areas of the city where acute shortages arise, will it be through the county childcare committees or through Pobal? We have a mixed system, so there are some community providers and some private sector providers, but the capital element has been missing for quite a number of years now. I am just trying to see how we will see this evolve in a practical way for people in the sector.

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

We have not yet drafted the complete terms and conditions in respect of the additional capacity. We are working on that. We will draw from a range of sources, recognising that different providers engage with different surveys in different ways. I absolutely recognise that there are parts of the city where there are real capacity constraints; they are in my constituency as well. I see the capital programme as one way in which the Government can respond in a more targeted way than changes to the planning regulations. The policy in respect of the operation of that is still being developed, but we want to use this to address areas where there is high demand and low capacity. We have the capacity to do that.