Emer Currie (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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249. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of childcare providers in Dublin west that are eligible for core funding; the number signed up for core funding in 2024 and 2025; the number that have applied for a fee adjustment for 2024 and 2025; the number of those successful, rejected or pending a decision; the number of crèches that have appealed the decision, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4996/25]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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Core Funding represents a significant increase in investment for the sector, with €259 million of funding paid directly to services in year 1 of the scheme (September 2022-August 2023) rising to €287 million in year 2 (September 2023-August 2024) and €331 million in year 3 (September 2024-August 2025).

The table below outlines the Core Funding uptake in Fingal 2024/2025 programme year which includes Dublin West.

The table below outlined the number of providers, as of the 10 February 2025, that have applied for the Fee Increase Assessment process 2024/2025; the number of those successful, rejected or pending a decision and the number that have appealed the decision.

Réada Cronin (Kildare North, Sinn Fein)
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250. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of crèches spaces in north Kildare in 2023, 2024 and 2025; the number of people on waiting lists regarding same, in tabular form; the steps her Department is taking to address this issue; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5001/25]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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Each year, Pobal compiles data from Early Learning and Care (ELC) and School Age Childcare (SAC) providers as part of the Early Years Sector Profile.

The most recent published capacity data for the 2022/23 programme year provides estimated data for enrolments by county boundaries. Data from 2022/23 estimated that there were 10,382 children enrolled in ELC and SAC services in County Kildare. This data also indicated that 45% had at least one vacant place and an estimated 56% had a waiting list (See Tabular presentation below)

Further information can be found on the Early Learning and Childcare data website. The Capacity Section of the website provides information on the number of children enrolled, services with vacant places, and services with a waiting list.

My Department employs a range of approaches to identify and address shortages of early learning and childcare places, bearing in mind the wide range of types of early learning and childcare provision offered by services and required by families.

Last year, a Supply Management Unit within the Early Learning and Care and School Age Childcare Division was established, and the Programme for Government articulates an intention that the unit be resourced and transformed into a Forward Planning and Delivery Unit to identify areas of need, forecast demand and deliver public supply within the childcare sector where required.

The development of a forward planning model is currently underway utilising the skills of statisticians on secondment from the Central Statistics Office, those experienced in the field of early learning and childcare and the expertise of a GIS mapper working with the Department. The model will seek to identify the nature and volume of different types of early learning and childcare places across the country, whether or not those places are occupied and how that aligns with the numbers of children in the corresponding age cohorts at local area level.

Some €25m in capital funding has been made available this year under the Building Blocks Extension Grant Scheme. The primary focus of the scheme is to increase capacity in the 1–3-year-old, pre-ECCE, age range for full day care. Appraisal of applications for this scheme will consider the supply and demand in the area around the proposed projects and seeks to prioritise funding for areas with the biggest supply/demand mismatch. Applications for this scheme have now closed and an appraisal process has begun. I expect to announce the outcome of the application process in March.

Réada Cronin (Kildare North, Sinn Fein)
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251. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of childminders in north Kildare who have been Garda vetted but not registered with Tusla; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5002/25]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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On 30 September 2024 my office commenced relevant sections of the Child Care (Amendment) Act 2024, including the removal of the exemption from registration for childminders, and the Child Care Act 1991 (Early Years Services) (Childminding Regulations) 2024. This allowed for the registration of childminders with Tusla.

The Act provides for a transition period of three years before registration becomes mandatory. During this three-year period, childminders can register with Tusla but are not required to do so. This phased approach aims to facilitate the largest possible number of childminders to enter the regulated sector, the sphere of quality assurance, and access to Government subsidies, while recognising the time and supports required for childminders to learn about and prepare for registration.

The National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) Act 2012 to 2016 provides a legislative basis for the vetting of persons who wish to undertake certain work or activities relating to children or vulnerable persons or to provide certain services to children or vulnerable persons. Section 19 of the Child Care (Amendment) Act 2024 amended Schedule 1 of the National Vetting Bureau Act 2012 to allow for the extension of vetting to all childminders within the definition of an ‘early years service’.

Since 1st February 2025, Tusla manage Garda Vetting services for registered providers of early years services, including childminders. The vetting of childminders was previously carried out through Barnardos, who managed vetting applications for a range of organisations on behalf of my Department.

The Department has not previously collected data on the total number of childminders who have been vetted. Therefore I cannot provide the number of childminders in the North Kildare region who have been Garda vetted but are not registered with Tusla. As of this date, there are currently 92 childminders nationally who are registered with Tusla.

Réada Cronin (Kildare North, Sinn Fein)
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252. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of purpose-built crèches facilities currently in north Kildare in which developers have applied for a change of use; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5003/25]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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This is a matter for the Local Authority.