Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein)
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41. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth what action he intends to take to address the severe shortage of childcare places in Cork city. [48399/23]

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein)
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The Minister will be aware that I have written to him and addressed him in the Chamber on the adverse situation of childcare provision in Cork city. I am sure that is also the case in other locations but it is certainly my experience in the Cork city area. Waiting lists can often run to a year or two years. There is nothing for children under one year of age. The baby rooms are gone at this stage. It is extremely difficult to find a full-time childcare place. There are none at the moment.

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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I thank the Deputy. He and I have spoken and corresponded on the issues pertaining, in particular, to Cork city. Of course, the availability of high-quality early learning and childcare that is affordable and accessible is a key Government policy. The early years sector profile shows there is a national vacancy rate of 12.3%. There is a slightly lower vacancy rate of 9.8% in Cork city. That indicates, as the Deputy said, that there is pressure on services in Cork city.

It is important to note that these data do not take account of any capacity growth under year two of core funding, which provided for a 3% growth in capacity from September of this year. It does not take account of new services registered with Tusla in recent months.

As the Deputy knows, there are 30 childcare committees across the country, including in Cork city. They work to match vacant spaces with families who are in need of spaces. I always say that as a first port of call, parents who are looking for a space should engage with their local childcare committee.

In addition to support from the childcare committees, my Department is undertaking a range of measures to increase supply. As I said already, core funding has grown to recognise an increase in capacity. We are seeing capacity increases being delivered. As the Deputy knows, I have opened the national childcare scheme to parents who use childminders for the first time. That will be in place from September next year. Parents using childminders will be able to draw down the significant subsidies of the national childcare scheme. Probably the most significant element is that in the coming weeks, I will be announcing the new building blocks capital grant scheme for early years care, which is designed to support the expansion of existing services. It will focus in particular on areas of undersupply.

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein)
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I appreciate the Minister's response. He has acknowledged that the 9% vacancy rate in Cork city is lower than in other places. Much of that vacancy could relate to particular early childhood care and education, ECCE, sessions. It does not necessarily reflect the fact that there are no full-time places and the impact of that. This issue comes up a lot with employers as well as with parents. Returning to work after having a child is extremely difficult. It is difficult to sustain in the workplace as well.

My question specifically asks about the specific actions the Government is going to take for Cork. I know the model we have was inherited by the Minister. However, there is an element to which that model means the Government can have influence but is a little passive. It is not like the Department of Education, which can intervene directly, albeit not to the extent it should be able to. We need to be looking at that and considering ways in which we can directly intervene in locations where there is a shortage.

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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I thank the Deputy. As he knows, there have been specific challenges in place in Cork in recent weeks. The city childcare committee has been very engaged. I know of at least two services where the current owners have indicated they are closing or selling. The county childcare committee has done a lot of work to try to find new people to come in to provide community services. Work is ongoing and I recognise that. While it is a big challenge and is undoubtedly a major concern for parents, we are using the mechanisms we can to keep services open or at least ensure there is continuity of services.

The Deputy asked about the actions we are taking and they are clear. The capital grant will provide services with State money to allow them to expand. We have been engaging with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage around the planning regulations. Where there are new and large housing developments, childcare provision is meant to be included. That is not always delivered on time or appropriately. We are examining how to tighten those regulations.

It is important to say that core funding is actually creating increased capacity in existing services.

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein)
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In relation to the childcare committee, it has been doing all that it can. To some extent we need to look at powers and the structure of these committees because there are limits to what they can do. Very often it is just providing a list, particularly where there is not a long vacancy.

In relation to one of the providers in one of the southern suburbs of the city, discussions are still going on and I would like some reassurance or commitment from the Minister that if an agreement is reached with a new potential provider that Tusla will ensure that everything is expedited to the greatest extent possible to ensure continuity. I ask for an assurance that we do not see a closure of the service and that a new owner can keep it open after taking over.

In addition, the State has to be open to the direct provision of childcare. We believe, and I think it is the Minister's philosophy as well, that childcare is a public good so the State has to be willing to open places itself. That is the road we need to go down. That has to be part of the mix here.

Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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I want to take up the Minister on the capital investment programme and acknowledge the work he has done in terms of the substantial investment of €69 million across three pillars. I want to focus on pillar two, with €20 million being allocated in 2024 and additional €25 million in 2025 for existing and new services. I want to touch upon rural and remote communities. I am working with people on Achill island, where young families have no services available to them across large distances. In fact, childcare options are nonexistent. In terms of strategic investment, how will the Department view the needs analysis being conducted by the working group to reflect the unique challenges across our country? How will this translate into action and visible outcomes? It is really important that we have clarity on how this fund will be specifically targeted to address the critical shortages across remote and rural areas as well.

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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I fully agree with Deputy Ó Laoghaire that early learning and childcare is a public good. When I came into office, we were spending €638 million per year on it but by next September we will be spending €1.1 billion on it. We have responded and recognised that through investment. One of those investments is the capital scheme, which will be a competitive scheme. Existing services will make applications and one of the key criteria will be applications for areas of low supply, whether that be Achill island or Cork city. Certainly anecdotally, both are areas where supply seems pressured at the moment.

In terms of the wider infrastructure, as the Deputies know, we are doing a bigger piece of work in terms of looking at, potentially, a childcare agency which may involve an amalgamation of some of the existing infrastructure, including Pobal, the county childcare committees, CCCs, and other relevant organisations and certainly the powers that exist will be part of that discussion.