Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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79. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the measures being taken to address the shortage of after-school childcare places in the mid-Cork region; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32414/25]

Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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Parents in different parts of mid-Cork have raised with me the difficulty they have in getting available after-school childcare. They are possibly travelling long distances or waiting a long time to get a place, if they are lucky enough to do so. Could the Minister outline what steps are being taken to make available additional places across mid-Cork?

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I acknowledge the Deputy's question which specifically asks about after-school and general childcare places.

Early learning and childcare capacity is increasing, which is an important point to make at the outset. The estimated number of enrolments increased by approximately 19% between 2022 and 2024. Enrolments in Cork county and city each increased by almost 29% in the same period. Core funding application data shows between years one and three of the scheme, annual place hours increased by more than 15%. The growth in school age childcare plans has been particularly strong. Data from Tusla shows there was an increase of 34 services on the school-age register in Cork alone in 2024.

We continue to support sustainability and expansion of the sector through ongoing development and resourcing of core funding, which has given rise to a significant expansion of places since the scheme was first introduced. Core funding supports providers with operating costs based on the number of places available.

A forward planning and delivery unit within the Department has been expanded, with the allocation of additional staff in its pursuit of an ambitious programme of work. For the first time, the programme for Government commits to providing capital investment to build or purchase State-owned early learning and childcare facilities to create additional capacity in areas where unmet need exists. The programme for Government also sets out the ambition to work with schools to host before- and after-school childcare in school buildings, as well as planning the development of State-led early learning and childcare facilities in tandem with the school building programme.

Last year, the Department of education published procedures on the use of school property and sports facilities outside of school hours - I was keen to publish this and did so last year. This guideline provides encouragement and guidance to schools to make available facilities for early learning and childcare and other community purposes when the space is not required by the school. Officials have met several times with officials from the Department of education planning and building unit to share expertise and information on this.

Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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Last August in Cloghduff, the only provider in that area withdrew from the core funding and left local parents in a very difficult position. This is an area that has seen considerable building of houses in recent years with more homes currently under construction and strong demand for childcare nearby. Another mum was in contact with me who said she had signed up with nine different facilities, chasing after school services around Ballincollig, Cross Barry and the Farran area. She was told it would be 2026 before she could expect a place to be available. She wants to work full-time which is a real challenge for her due to the lack of after-school childcare. There is a similar situation for a mum in Millstreet working in the Cork area.

Are there recognised black spots and particular measures which could be there to support parents in these areas?

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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We absolutely recognise that there are areas across the country where it is extremely challenging for the needs of parents to be met. For this reason, the Department is taking a number of initiatives, such as the building blocks extension scheme to provide assistance for an existing provider to put on an extension and to provide for more places. Where that is not a possibility and where no provider is in place, there is a commitment in the programme for Government to introduce State-led facilities. There would be a public model for the purchasing or building of a facility to provide for the needs in an area. To support this work, there is now a forward planning unit in the Department, specifically looking at areas of the country where there is an absence of facilities. Where that is found to be the case, the Department will step in to provide the public model.

Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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Tá dúshlán breise ag pobal na Gaeltachta toisc go dteastaíonn uainn ár dteanga a thabhairt slán don chéad ghlúin eile. Is baolach gurb amhlaidh go bhfuil níos lú roghanna againn dá bharr sin. Ní féidir taisteal chomh fada agus níl an rogha céanna ann. Tá muintir Ré na nDoirí ag lorg ionad cúram leanaí a chur ar fáil chun freastal ar dhaoine tar éis scoile. Tá muintir Bhéal Átha an Ghaorthaidh tar éis a bheith ag streachailt le heaspa foirgnimh ar feadh i bhfad, Tá gá le hionad cúram leanaí i mBaile Bhuirne chomh maith. An féidir a chinntiú go mbeidh tacaíocht chuí ar fáil do thuismitheoirí sna pobail seo?

Gaeltacht communities have a particular and added difficulty in ensuring facilities are available through Irish. Can the appropriate support be provided to parents in Béal Átha an Ghaorthaidh, where they have struggled with a building recently? Families in Ré na nDoirí have plans to develop and after-school facility, which is needed in Baile Bhuirne as well.

Thomas Gould (Cork North-Central, Sinn Fein)
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Like the previous speaker, people have been contacting me from Ballincollig and surrounding areas to outline how they cannot get after-school placements or crèche facilities for their children. They are searching in mid-Cork and coming in to the city. I spoke to a lady recently who said that she had secured a childminder for the summer but that if she does not have a crèche and after-school facilities to mind her child in September, she will have to give up work. This lady and her husband must decide which of them will give up work because they cannot find care for their child in a crèche or somewhere after school, because they have other children as well. These are people who want to work and are doing everything right. The situation they find themselves in is unbelievable. One of them will have to give up work come September or the end of August, when the kids go back to school. What a situation they are going to be in.

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I will begin by addressing Deputy Gould's points. The express purpose last year of introducing the guidelines to schools was to ensure that they would have a freedom, at the end of the school day, to introduce things like after-school provision. As part of the guidelines, schools were informed that any funding they received through that would not impact on any grants they received from the Department of Education. It would a matter entirely for themselves to hold so that boards of management would feel that they had a freedom if it was their wish to provide after-school activities by having a provider step in, or whatever. I am just pointing out that this is a reality. Also, the public model I referred to earlier is looking at instances where no capacity is available in a particular area.

Tuigim go bhfuil gá le háiseanna a chur ar fáil trí mhean na Gaeilge freisin. I completely understand that there is a need for facilities that work through the medium of Irish to be provided for. This is not just in terms of childcare but also includes a range of facilities that fall within the remit of the Department. That is a hugely important initiative.