Francis Noel Duffy (Dublin South West, Green Party)
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530. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he is aware of the chronic shortage of childcare spaces in the area of Dublin south-west with a case of one mother on 21 waiting lists; if he is further aware of the affordability crisis of childcare services and the impact this is having on working mothers trying to get back into the workforce; the measures his Department is taking to alleviate these issues; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22912/24]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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The availability of high-quality Early Learning and Care (ELC) is a key Government priority. My Department monitors ELC capacity on an ongoing basis, with a particular focus on responding to the unmet ELC needs of families.

My Department funds 30 City/County Childcare Committees (CCCs), which provide support and assist families and providers with ELC matters. The network of 30 City/County Childcare Committees across the country are in a position to match children and families to services operating with vacant places and engage proactively with services to explore possibilities for expansion among services, particularly where there is unmet need.

Parents experiencing difficulty in relation to their ELC needs should contact their local City/County Childcare Committee (CCC) for assistance. Contact details for South Dublin CCC may be found on southdublinchildcare.ie/

The Board and team within SDCCC are acutely aware of the shortage of childcare places in the county. The SDCCC is working extensively to identify suitable premises in South Dublin that can be adapted or renovated to become a childcare service. They are also working closely with South Dublin County Council including its Planning Department to ensure plans for childcare services are appropriately included in large developments.

In addition, the SDCCC is currently finalising a report on supply and demand in the South Dublin area, which will be shared it with my Department as soon as it is available.

My Department is also progressing a broad range of actions to ensure the supply of ELC and School-Aged Childcare meets demand. A new Supply Management Unit has been established to lead on this important work. The development of this function is akin to the Department of Education’s Forward Planning Unit. The Supply Management Unit is overseeing the allocation of new capital investment. €69 million was allocated to my Department over the period 2023-2025 under the National Development Plan to enable capital investment in the ELC sector. In February, I announced an €18 million capital grant scheme for the sector. The grant will provide for an immediate increase in affordable ELC places in 2024, and will be specifically targeted in areas in where they are needed most. It will be the first of two significant capital investment schemes, to be delivered in 2024 and 2025.

Under the National Action Plan for Childminding, there is a commitment to open the National Childcare Scheme to parents who use childminders following the extension of regulation to childminders.

Core Funding, which began in September 2022, is the new funding stream to start the partnership for the public good between the State and providers. Its primary purpose is to improve pay and conditions in the sector as a whole and improve affordability for parents as well as ensuring a stable income to providers.

Core Funding improves:

• affordability for parents by instituting a fee freeze in participating Partner Services;
• access by expanding the capacity being offered by the sector, particularly for younger children;
• quality including through improved pay, conditions and career structure underpinned by Employment Regulation Orders; and
• stability and sustainability for providers.