Written answers
Tuesday, 28 November 2023
Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth
Childcare Services
Pauline Tully (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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468. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if there is any capital funding available to private childcare facilities who need to relocate due to expansion of their service. [51814/23]
Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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Some €69 million has been allocated over the period 2023-2025 to the early learning and childcare sector under the revised National Development Plan (NDP). This will enable significant capital investment in early learning and childcare across three pillars:
- Building Blocks - Improvement Grant;
- Building Blocks - Capacity Grant; and
- Building Blocks - Innovation Grant.
Work is currently underway on the design and delivery of Pillars 2 and 3, which have a combined allocation of €20 million in 2024 and €40 million in 2025.
The Building Blocks – Capacity Grant will fund an expansion of existing services in areas of under-supply. Funding may also be provided to support the development of new services, where most needed. At present, I do not anticipate that capital funding will be made available to childcare facilities seeking to relocate in order to expand their service.
The Building Blocks – Innovation Grant will pilot a range of innovative initiatives such as outdoor early learning and childcare services.
I hope to formally announce the Building Blocks – Capacity Grant in the coming weeks.
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