Shane Moynihan (Dublin Mid West, Fianna Fail)
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113. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the measures being taken to ensure childcare facilities delivered through housing developments are made operational and accessible to providers at viable rates; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24730/25]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The 2001 Planning Guidelines for Local Authorities on Early Learning and Childcare Settings were issued under section 28 of the Planning and Development Act 2000.

The Guidelines are intended to ensure a consistency of approach throughout the country to the treatment of applications in respect to the land use planning aspects of early learning and childcare provision, for relevant planning applications.

One element of the Guidelines is that new communities and larger new housing developments should include an early learning and childcare facility. This requirement has led to the delivery of capacity in new housing developments.

However, my Department is aware that there are instances where the building provided has not been put to use for its intended purpose, and in some instances remains vacant. There are many potential reasons for this. The price for the building sought by the developer may be too high for operators. Facilities tend to also require capital investment to fit out the building for use as a service. There may be instances where the design of the building is not conducive to its optimal use as an early learning and childcare service. There are some instances where the developer has sought permission for a change of use.

While the 2001 Planning Guidelines have certainly contributed to the coming on stream of a considerable number of early learning and childcare facilities, I recognise that the Guidelines require updating to ensure that they are fit for purpose and can deliver the type of infrastructure required in future years. Key considerations will include the treatment of apartments in the determining of the level of early learning and childcare provision required and the size and design specifications of facilities required to be delivered.

My Department is currently engaging with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage to examine and review the 2001 Planning Guidelines for Local Authorities on Early Learning and Childcare Settings with a view to updating them. A Working Group is in place between these Departments, as well as the Department of Education, to progress this project. It was established in 2024 and has been meeting in 2024 and 2025.

The first step towards revising the guidelines will be to engage with Local Authorities with experience of applying the guidelines to understand their impact and issues arising. The findings of this process will inform the scale and content of revisions to the guidelines. An inception meeting took place earlier this month involving members of the Working Group and officials from different local authorities who were nominated by the CCMA Planning and Land Use Committee. Further information about the application of the guidelines will now be sought to progress this work.