Gary Gannon (Dublin Central, Social Democrats)
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509. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will consider supporting the after-school education support programme in the North Wall area of Dublin by allowing it to use and awarding it tenancy of the vacant North Wall community training centre on St. Lawrence Place in order take in more students given that the area is experiencing a sudden increase in population. [59279/22]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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I understand that the North Wall Community Training Centre in St Lawrence Place is owned by Dublin City Council and queries with regard to this specific property should be directed to the Council.

More broadly, any service seeking advice or non-financial support can contact their local County Childcare Committee. Dublin City County Childcare Committee has been highly engaged in supporting services across North East Inner City, including advising on premises.

On the financial front, my Department successfully secured €70m in the revised National Development Plan (NDP) allocation. This will enable significant capital investment in early learning and childcare during 2023-2025. Investment under the NDP will consist of three pillars: Modernisation, New Capacity and First 5 Initiatives.

In September, I announced a €9m Capital Grant for the Early Learning and Childcare Sector. The Building Blocks - Improvement Grant is part of a wider Building Blocks Capital Programme for Early Learning and Childcare under the National Development Plan.

Whilst this application (relating to green energy, and retrofitting) closed on 25th of November, the grant scheme is part of a wider Building Blocks Capital Programme designed to meet current and long-term Early Learning and Childcare infrastructure needs – with details of a €45m Building Blocks - Capacity Grant and a €15m Building Blocks - Innovation Grant to be announced in the coming months.

As outlined in the National Development Plan 2021-2030, access to affordable early learning and childcare is inherently linked to creating an equitable society, sustainable communities and a thriving economy. Early learning and childcare provision is therefore considered under the National Development Plan, along with housing, schools and health facilities as an integral part of national infrastructure.