Naoise Ó Cearúil (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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11. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the measures being implemented to ensure that the shortage of after-school childcare places does not act as a barrier to parents returning to the workforce; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50173/25]

Naoise Ó Cearúil (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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We have seen the enormous demand for childcare throughout the country, particularly in my own constituency of Kildare North. However, a lot of the focus has been on preschool and not on after-school childcare. It is extremely difficult for parents to find after-school care and also to go back to work. What measures are being implemented to ensure this shortage of after-school childcare places does not act as a barrier to parents returning to the workforce?

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy. Improving access to quality, affordable early learning and care and school-age childcare is a key priority for the Government. Capacity in this sector is increasing. Data from the annual early years sector profile for 2023 to 2024 shows that the estimated number of enrolments increased by approximately 19% over the previous two years. School-age childcare has shown particular growth in recent years. The estimated number of enrolments for schoolgoing children nationally increased by 56% during this period. Moreover, 261 new school-age childcare services were added to the Tusla register in 2024, leading to a net increase of 225 new school-age childcare services in one year alone. That is significant, notwithstanding the fact that we always need to do more.

It does appear, however, that the demand for early learning and care in school-age childcare remains higher than available supply in certain parts of the country. The Deputy specifically referenced his own area. While this is more generally a bigger issue when it comes to younger children, there may be instances of misaligned supply for local demand for school-age childcare, notwithstanding the substantial increase in provision. Demand for places beyond sessional preschool provision is highly elastic and shaped very substantially by families’ individual composition, circumstances and preferences; employment patterns and income, and the price and availability of services.

My Department continues to support the ongoing development and resourcing of core funding, which has given rise to a significant expansion of places since the scheme was first introduced, including school-age childcare places. Additional funding was secured in budget 2025 to facilitate a further increase expansion in capacity from September 2025. Expansion in school-age childcare has also been supported by the extension of the national childcare scheme subsidies to all children up to 15 years of age, and particularly the incremental increase in the rates of universal subsidy from 50 cent per hour in 2023 up to €2.14 per hour since 2024.

The Department also funds 30 city and county childcare committees, which provide support and assist families and providers. The network of 30 childcare committees across the country can assist in identifying vacant places in services for children and families who need them.

Naoise Ó Cearúil (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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I recognise the progress that has been made and the advancements, particularly around the additional funding with the national childcare scheme, NCS, and with core funding. The reality of the situation still stands that the shortage of affordable childcare drives what is called the motherhood penalty, which is the economic setback that parents, mostly women, face after having children. This leads to many women having to reduce hours, turn down promotions or leave the workforce due to childcare constraints. It deepens gender pay gaps and limits career progression, particularly for single women and low-income women. I have multiple constituents and friends who have come to me on this. One example is a parent in Kilcock who has highlighted the shortage of after-school care in Kilcock. She says that she cannot financially afford not to work but that, like many other working mothers, she is being forced out of the workplace due to this severe lack of childcare support. I agree that the county childcare committees have a large part to play in this as well.

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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It is an absolute objective of this Government to ensure that we make provision for children of all ages. More specifically, the Deputy is interested in school-age childcare. We have had some very significant innovations I can point to. For example, in my time as the Minister for Education, I published procedures on the use of school buildings and sports facilities outside of school hours. The purpose here was to ensure that in the first instance community opportunities would be utilised such as school buildings and sports halls, and very specifically that there would be opportunities for early learning and childcare providers to make use of school buildings or whatever, in this instance because the building would be empty after school and would be in an ideal location for after-school services. There are now 565 school-age childcare-only services located on school premises, which represent almost two thirds, or 59%, of school-age childcare-only services in operation. That is quite significant. We need to do more work in this space with schools.

Naoise Ó Cearúil (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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I was going to reference next the work the Minister did as Minister for Education in ensuring that more schools opened their facilities after hours for childcare, particularly for after-school care. The Minister will be aware, however, that there have been difficulties with some school boards in getting those schools open. There needs to be a co-ordinated effort between the Minister's Department and her former Department of education to ensure that schools are directed to open those facilities for after-school care and for childcare in general.

It would be great to see a national strategy for after-school and wraparound care. At the heart of this is allowing parents to get back to work knowing their child is being cared for safely, and to ensure that women are not being discriminated against in going back into the workplace. The affordability issue also comes up time and again. I appreciate the work the Minister is doing and has been doing.

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I want to be clear that I 100% agree with the Deputy. It is only right and proper that everybody who wishes to participate in the workforce get that opportunity. It is certainly not acceptable or right that anyone's opportunities would be hindered because of a lack of childcare or that it would be one particular cohort of people. The Deputy specifically instanced women who would be disadvantaged here, and that is not acceptable. It is one of the key agendas of the Government to ensure that this is not the case.

Notwithstanding the progress that has been made on the use of our school buildings, there is scope to do more there too. Equally, it will be hugely helpful to us that the forward planning unit that is now up and running in the Department will be able to provide for us extensive data on where there is specific need in specific areas. The need in some areas is greater than in others. The unit is drawing on the expertise of statisticians on secondment from the Central Statistics Office, along with other specialists, which will allow us to future-proof so that the Government is aware and that the State can step in where that is required.