Conor McGuinness (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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Before I speak on the substantive issue, I commend and thank my colleague, Deputy Crowe, for raising the previous issue and add my support to it. We need to do all we possibly can and more to halt, as best we can, the genocide that is taking place in Gaza. It is truly an affront to our collective humanity.

My Topical Issue relates to the provision of a premises in Tramore for Naíonra Philib Barún. We have there a thriving Irish-medium early years facility, full to capacity on a Department of education-owned site adjacent to a Gaelscoil. The Government has failed and is continuing to fail to fund a proper building, seemingly because the naíonra, as the vast bulk of naíonraí do, serves ECCE-aged children. Naíonra Philib Barún has been at the heart of early years education in Tramore since 1983. It is rooted in the community and, as I alluded, affiliated with Gaelscoil Philib Barún, and it is central to the development of Irish-medium education in the town.

Tá an naíonra seo ag feidhmiú i seomra amháin i seanprefab gan an spás ná an caighdeán atá de dhíth nó atá tuillte ag na páistí. Tá sé lonnaithe i suíomh atá faoi úinéireacht na Roinne oideachais. Tá an tseirbhís lán go béal. Tá liosta feithimh ann. Tá suíomh nua ina seilbh acu, ach toisc go dtosaíonn an naíonra le páistí ó dhá bhliain agus ocht mí faoin scéim ECCE, tá siad eisiata ó mhaoiniú caipitil faoin scéim building blocks extension. Tá sé sin míréasúnta agus déanann sé dochar don earnáil Ghaeilge, sna luathbhlianta go háirithe, ar an taobh sin de Chontae Phort Láirge.

12 o’clock

Twenty-two children attend the naíonra daily. The service also includes a morning and an afterschool service for children attending Gaelscoil Philib Barún. It is operating out of a single room in an old prefab that has long passed its sell-by date. With an extra room, they could double their capacity since the demand is there, as shown by the waiting list. They have secured a new and better site right beside the Gaelscoil but because they deliver the ECCE programme and do not take children from one year of age, they are blocked from accessing capital support. I raised the matter in a parliamentary question last week and, if I am honest, the Minister's reply did not inspire much confidence. It was a stock answer and simply referred the naíonra to the local childcare committee, suggesting it might be able to point them in the right direction. If we are honest, that is not a solution. It was so weak, I am not sure if it even qualifies as a cop-out.

The question is simple: if a naíonra like Naíonra Philib Barún, with its record, capacity, demand and a new site, which is ready to go, cannot access capital support from the Department, then who can? What does it say about the Department of children and the Government's approach to Irish-medium early years education? I ask the Minister of State, Deputy Byrne, to relay my disappointment and the long-standing disappointment of those involved in the naíonra to the Minister for children. I ask that she would look again at how her Department chooses the projects it will fund, and that she will make the right call by providing the capital necessary to build a new premises for Naíonra Philib Barún.

Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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Ba mhaith liom mo bhuíochas a ghabháil thar ceann an Aire leanaí, an Teachta Norma Foley, leis an Teachta McGuinness as an ábhar tábhachtach seo a ardú ar maidin inniu. Is sprioc tábhachtach don Rialtas é rochtain a chur ar fáil do luathoideachas agus cúram leanaí. Tá maoiniú caipitil curtha ar fáil ag an Roinn faoin bplean forbartha náisiúnta chun spásanna nua lánaimseartha a chruthú sna háiteanna ina bhfuil an t-éileamh is airde i gcomparáid leis an soláthar. Tá €25 milliún ar fáil anois chun níos mó spás a chur ar fáil faoin scéim deontais, building blocks extension, ag tacú le tograí tógála de chuid na seirbhísí atá ansin cheana féin.

The priority of the Department of Children, Disability and Equality has been the delivery of additional capacity for the types of provision for which there is the greatest need. The scheme is therefore focused on supporting the creation of additional full-time places for children aged from one year to three years through extensions to existing buildings or, in the case of not-for-profit community services, construction or purchase of buildings. Osclaíodh an scéim seo do sheirbhísí a bhí ag cur áiteanna lánaimseartha cheana féin nó a bhí sásta áiteanna nua-aimseartha a chur ar fáil agus a chruthú.

I am advised by the Minister that 50 early learning and childcare providers have been shortlisted for funding under this scheme and that these services are working closely with the Department of Children, Disability and Equality to deliver more than 1,500 new quality and affordable places throughout the country. In the case to which the Deputy refers, níor chuir an tseirbhís sin iarratas isteach faoin scéim seo, but I am advised that the Waterford County Childcare Committee has been working with the service to provide them with support and identify opportunities to meet their particular circumstances.

The Minister is considering the approach to capital investment in future years within the context of the programme for Government commitments and the revision of the plean forbartha náisiúnta agus tá sé sin ag dul ar aghaidh faoi láthair. The focus will be on the types of provision and the areas where there are the greatest capacity deficits.

Conor McGuinness (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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With respect, if Government policy excludes a thriving, oversubscribed naíonra providing the only service of its type in a large urban catchment area, that already has secured a site and that has huge community backing, then the policy is not working and the prioritisation is not right. I ndáiríre, tá a fhios agam go bhfuil an tAire Stáit ag tabhairt na teachtaireachta seo thar ceann an Aire, an Teachta Foley, ach níor fhreagair sí an cheist sa mhéid sin. I understand the response is from the Minister and is not necessarily the response of the Minister of State, Deputy Byrne, but it sidesteps the issue. In one breath, it says that Naíonra Philib Barún did not apply for funding, but in the previous line it says the naíonra would not qualify for it in the first place. Of course it did not apply for a fund for which it was categorically told it would not qualify. I thought I made my point clear: it is that the priority of the Department in regard to the scheme is wrong in that it excludes from funding facilities like Naíonra Philib Barún, other naíonraí and early years facilities that do not cater to one-year-olds and two-year-olds, but start at the ECCE starting age of two years and eight months upwards.

Níl ach cothromaíocht á lorg ag Naíonra Philip Barún. Is seirbhís ECCE a chuireann an naíonra seo ar fáil, mar a dúirt mé, a chuireann ar chumas na bpáistí foghlaim trí Ghaeilge agus a bheith in ann freastal ar an nGaelscoil máguaird. Tacaíonn sé le teaghlaigh áitiúla agus cuireann sé le líon na ndaltaí sa Ghaelscoil sa cheantar, chomh maith leis an nGaelcholáiste istigh i gCathair Phort Láirge atá taobh léi. Is dócha, mar Ghaeil, tá muid ag iarraidh go mbeidh daoine in ann freastal ar naíonra, Gaelscoil, Gaelcholáiste agus ollscoil trí mheán na Gaeilge. Muna bhfuil muid ag tacú leis sin, tá teip á déanamh ag an Rialtas.

The response reinforces the problem and shows the policy is inflexible and out of step with the real world needs. I welcome that the Minister is considering changing the policy. I ask that the message goes back very clearly that it must happen without further delay.

Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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I dtosach báire, aontaím leis an Teachta go bhfuil tábhacht faoi leith ag baint leis an nGaeilge agus leis na naíonraí trí mheán na Gaeilge. D’fhreastail mé ar naíonra in 1980 agus tá mé fós anseo ag labhairt Gaeilge. Tá suirbhé foilsithe ag an Roinn, the annual early years sector profile. I gcomhthéacs Chontae Phort Láirge, taispeánann an suirbhé go bhfuil líon na bpáistí ar an rolla tar éis méadú agus go bhfuil laghdú tagtha ar líon na ndaoine ar na liostaí feithimh. Beidh 1,500 áit nua an bhliain seo chugainn faoin building blocks extension scheme, lena n-airítear seirbhísí i gContae Phort Láirge.

The programme for Government outlines a wider ambition to deliver an affordable, high-quality, accessible early childhood education and care system with State-led facilities adding capacity. This will include additional resources for forward planning, the development of a capital programme of investment for State-owned early learning and childcare facilities, co-ordination with the school building programme, supports for services within schools and developing planning guidelines to ensure that early learning and childcare buildings are provided at the point of use. The Government is committed to delivering on this vision over the term of office.

Conor Sheehan (Limerick City, Labour)
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I thank the Minister of State. I apologise, as I hit the bell in my haste.