Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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83. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to outline the measures announced in budget 2026 for the early years sector, including the 2,300 places to be created via extensions to schools and community centres; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61736/25]

Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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I want to ask the Minister to outline the measures for the early years sector that were announced in budget 2026, particularly the measure to provide 2,300 places via extensions to schools and community centres. Perhaps she will be able to enlighten us as to where that measure came from and how long she expects planning permission to take for these extensions to take place.

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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In 2026, current expenditure for early learning and childcare will rise to €1.48 billion, representing a year-on-year increase of 9% or €125 million. This additional funding will deliver real and meaningful change to the lives of thousands of children and their families in 2026 as well as to early years educators, school-age childcare practitioners and providers. Some 105,250 children will be supported to access free pre-school education under the ECCE programme next year. Furthermore, 286,000 children will benefit from their statutory entitlement to the national childcare scheme subsidies to offset the cost of early learning and childcare next year. This represents a year-on-year increase of 14%, with 35,000 additional children to benefit from the scheme next year. A figure of 8,400 pre-school children with a disability or additional learning need will benefit from the highest level of support provided through the access and inclusion model, enabling their meaningful participation in the ECCE programme. This is an increase on this year's figure of 7,900 pre-school children. We will also see an increase in the number of services designated for targeted supports under Equal Start and an increase in the numbers of children benefiting from these targeted supports, including through the new Bia Blasta pre-school nutrition programme. This year, 787 services serving 35,000 children have a priority designation under Equal Start. Next year, we estimate that 820 services serving 37,000 children will have this priority designation. Next year, the allocation for core funding will rise by 15%, with the allocation for year five of this scheme set to reach at least €437 million. On top of this, the Government will make available additional funding next year for further improvements to staff pay. This significant level of funding will support range of key Government priorities next year and into year five of core funding. It will allow us to continue to support growth in the sector, which we estimate will be 4.2% in year five of the scheme. It will allow us to continue to support providers with the cost of employment regulation orders. It will allow us to support providers to sustainably maintain the fee management conditions that are attached to core funding, including a new maximum fee cap that will be introduced in September.

Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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I welcome all of those measures and any measure announced for the early years sector that will make a difference. One of the biggest issues we have in the early years sector right now is capacity. We have serious issues in terms of capacity, whether it is capacity in baby rooms or capacity in childcare places at every level right across the State. As far as I am concerned, when we need 40,000 to 50,000 childcare places, we are in a crisis. I had hoped the building blocks grant would have been expanded. I have raised with the Minister many times the need for that to be expanded to allow new providers as well as existing providers to purchase existing buildings, of which there are many in all of our counties. That would build capacity very quickly. It would be cheaper and more environmentally friendly to use what we have.

10 o’clock

There are areas in communities that have high demand for childcare and extensions to schools and community centres will not cut it for them.

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy. In terms of capital expenditure, for the early learning and childcare sector that will comprise €36 million in 2026, thereby allowing the Government to accelerate its work to ensure the supply of early learning and childcare meets demand. The year 2026 will see for the first time the acquisition of buildings to provide the infrastructure for State-led early learning and child care delivery, something which is very close to the hearts of most people here, including Deputy Kerrane. For the first time, a public model of early learning and childcare will be provided for.

Alongside this, I will open a further building blocks scheme in 2026 to allow for extensions to existing premises to support services to offer additional full-day places. This follows on from the successful building blocks scheme in 2025 that is currently operating and will deliver up to 1,500 new places for one to three-year-olds. In terms of the delivery of places, extensions will be provided for and there will be a State-led model. We will also ensure that when we have places, we also have staff. The delivery of an ERO is also important, as is the increase in core funding for providers.

Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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In terms of building capacity, where has the idea of extensions to schools and community centres to create 2,300 places come from? I think of a school in Ballinasloe that has waited almost 30 years for a new build. Schools cannot build and develop what they need to and we are talking about extensions. We need childcare places tomorrow. Extensions to schools, if there is permission from schools in the first instance, involve planning permission and building work. How long will it take to create 2,300 places?

I welcome the acquisition of State-led facilities from next year. How many will there be? How much further detail can the Minister provide in that regard? It will be hard to determine which areas will be chosen. Many areas will want such facilities. I ask the Minister to consider expanding the building blocks scheme to allow community groups, whether existing or new, to buy derelict vacant buildings in prime locations in towns like Boyle, County Roscommon. A detailed needs analysis has been carried out in the town and people have done their homework in terms of need. There is a high level of need in the area. Would the Minister consider such a proposal?

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy. On areas for the State-led public model, there is a forward planning unit in the Department, which is positive. It is specifically examining areas where there is demand but no service provision. I acknowledge that the Deputy has consistently raised issues in her area and the technicalities around the building blocks scheme, in particular for the cohort in Boyle. I am committed to a building blocks scheme in 2026. The detail of that has not yet been worked out, but the principle is there.

In terms of delivery for the State-led model, it is our expectation that anywhere between 600 and 800 additional places will be involved as a first step, together with between six and eight premises. There is a commitment over the next four years, the lifetime of the Government, that we will do more and more in this space in terms of the public-led model. It will involve a combination of what we are doing in that regard, along with the building blocks scheme. As I said, we must not forget that we need to have staff in place. We also need funding for providers.