Paul Gogarty (Dublin Mid West, Independent)
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1322. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if she is aware that a preschool (details supplied) is being forced to vacate from its current location; if her Department can liaise to ensure that this important facility remains open at this location through whatever creative means necessary; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10867/25]

Paul Gogarty (Dublin Mid West, Independent)
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1323. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the proactive steps being taken to provide additional ECCE places in the Lucan and Adamstown area given that four businesses have closed down in recent years and given that a preschool (details supplied) is under threat; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10868/25]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1322 and 1323 together.

I am advised that approximately 15% of early learning and childcare provision operates from school premises. The Programme for Government sets out the ambition to work with schools to host before and after-school childcare in school buildings as well as planning the development of State-led early learning and childcare facilities in tandem with the school building programme.

Last year, the Department of Education published Procedures on the use of school property and school sports facilities outside of school hours provides. This document provides encouragement and guidance to schools to make available facilities for early learning and childcare and other community purposes when not required by the school.

I am aware however that there will be instances where classrooms or other school spaces are required for educational provision. In this regard, it may be necessary for Boards of Management to prioritise the provision of school places over early learning and childcare.

Where services are experiencing challenges with premises, their local County Childcare Committee may be able to provide support to identify alternative accommodation and case management assistance may be provided by Pobal. County Childcare Committees can also support parents to find alternative places for their children as required.

Paul Gogarty (Dublin Mid West, Independent)
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1324. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if there are plans to expedite community-based childcare in the Lucan and Adamstown and Clonburris areas, to supplement existing businesses, given the significant shortage of places; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10869/25]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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Improving access to quality and affordable. Early Learning and Care and School Age Childcare is a key priority of Government.

Early learning and childcare capacity is increasing. An annual sector profile demonstrates an 8% increase in enrolments between 2021/22 and 2022/23. Core Funding application data shows that between Year 1 and Year 2 of the scheme, annual place hours increased by almost 8%. The Tusla register of services demonstrates a net increase in the numbers of registered early learning and childcare services in 2024. However, it appears that demand for Early Learning and Care and School Age Childcare remains higher than available supply, particularly for younger children and in certain parts of the country.

Demand for early learning and childcare beyond sessional pre-school provision is highly elastic and shaped very substantially by families' individual composition, circumstances, and preferences; employment patterns and income; and the price and availability of services.

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.

A forward planning model is in development which will be central to my Department's plans to achieve the policy goals set out in the Programme for Government to build an affordable, high-quality, accessible early childhood education and care system, with State-led facilities adding capacity.

My Department continues to support the ongoing development and resourcing of Core Funding which has given rise to a significant expansion of places since the scheme was first introduced. Core Funding, which is in its third programme year, funds services based on the number of places available.

This provides stability to services, and reduces the risk associated with opening a new service or expanding an already existing service. For the current programme year, the allocation for Core Funding allows for a 6% increase in capacity. Additional funding was secured in Budget 2025 to facilitate a further 3.5% increase from September 2025, in the fourth programme year.

The Government is also supporting the expansion of capacity through capital funding. The Building Blocks Extension Grant Scheme was launched on the 4th of November 2024. Applications for this scheme have now closed and an appraisal process has begun. The primary focus of the Extension Grant Scheme is to increase capacity in the 1–3-year-old, pre–Early Childhood Care and Education, 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. €25m will be made available this year to deliver additional capacity under the Scheme and I expect to announce the outcome of the application process in March.

My Department funds 30 City/County Childcare Committees, which provide support and assist families and early learning and childcare providers. The network of 30 City/County Childcare Committees across the country can assist in identifying vacant places in services for children and families who need them 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 early learning and childcare needs should contact their local City/County Childcare Committee for assistance. Contact details for the County Childcare Committees may be found at www.gov.ie/en/publication/52b71-support-for-parents-city-and-county-childcare-committees/?referrer=

Paul Gogarty (Dublin Mid West, Independent)
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1325. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the financial supports in place to aid the parents who have children in childcare, when their crèche has withdrawn from the core funding agreement; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10909/25]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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My Department provides a number of Schemes which aim to reduce the cost of childcare for families.

The ECCE programme provides two years of pre-school without charge and enjoys participation rates of 96% each year.

The National Childcare Scheme (NCS) complements the ECCE programme, providing subsidies – both universal and targeted - to reduce the costs to parents for children to participate in ELC and SAC. The minimum NCS subsidy has steadily risen from €0.50 in 2022, to €1.40 an hour in January 2023 to €2.14 in September 2024 alongside extensions to eligibility. Higher subsidies are also available to families on lower incomes.

My Department aims to ensure that the Core Funding Programme is mutually beneficial for families as well as providers with 93% or providers participating. The scheme has seen significant investment to contribute to providers operating costs. Budget 2025 makes additional funding available for year 4 of Core Funding. These increases will bring the full year allocation for year 4 of Core Funding (September 2025-August 2026) to €350.64 million.

Financial supports for parents are only available if the providers they are using take part in the National Childcare Scheme and/or the ECCE programme.

The Programme for Government commits to resourcing and transforming the Supply Management Unit in the Department into a Forward Planning and Delivery Unit to identify areas of need, forecast demand and deliver public supply within the childcare sector where required. There is also a commitment to provide capital investment to build or purchase state-owned childcare facilities, to create additional capacity in areas where unmet need exists. There is a further commitment to plan the development of State-led facilities in tandem with the school building programme, including Irish medium naíonraí

The parents may wish to engage with their local City or County Childcare Committee who can support and advise the parents on options in their area.