Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal West, Sinn Fein)
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49. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if he will consider reviewing existing capacity in community centres; if he will consider expanding existing community centres into multi-use spaces to offer not-for-profit community childcare functions such as but not limited to: creches, montessori's, breakfast clubs, after-school clubs where there is additional capacity found to be available; if he will consider this as a cost-efficient solution to the current dearth of affordable community childcare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37817/25]

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. Data from the Annual Early Years Sector Profile 2023/24 shows that the estimated number of enrolments increased by approximately 19% from the 2021/22 programme year. Core Funding application data shows that between Year 1 and Year 3 of the scheme, annual place hours increased by over 15%. However, it appears that demand for early learning and childcare remains higher than available supply in certain parts of the country, particularly for younger children.

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.

A Forward Planning and Delivery Unit in my Department is pursuing an ambitious programme of work. The unit is developing a forward planning model which will be central to this 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.

This 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 fourth 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 previous programme year, the allocation for Core Funding allowed for a 6% increase in capacity. Additional funding was secured in Budget 2025 to facilitate a further 3.5% increase from September 2025.

The Government is also supporting the expansion of capacity through capital funding. The Building Blocks Extension Grant Scheme is designed to increase capacity in the 1–3-year-old, pre–Early Childhood Care and Education, age range for full day care. Core Funding Partner services could apply for capital funding to physically extend their premises or to construct or purchase new premises.

The successful applications will deliver up to 1,500 new full time childcare places for 1–3-year-olds through a mix of Community Extension, Private Extension, Community Purchasing and Community Construction projects. I look forward to seeing these projects progress over the coming months.

The Programme for Government commits for the first time to provide capital investment to build or purchase state-owned early learning and childcare facilities, to create additional capacity in areas where unmet need exists. State ownership of facilities is a very substantial and significant development and offers the potential for much greater scope to influence the nature and volume of provision available and to ensure better alignment with estimated demand. This work will be supported through capital investment under the revised National Development Plan.

As part of the recent NDP review, published in July of this year, the allocation for my Department has increased to €795 million over the next five years. This increased funding will be used in part to provide additional early learning and childcare places through future capital programmes, including potentially operating a further scheme similar to Building Blocks to support the expansion of provision by existing operators, as well as implementing the commitment to capital investment in State-owned facilities. Once details of future capital schemes are finalised, I will communicate to the sector.

The approach more widely to ensuring appropriate levels of early learning and childcare supply is being considered by this Department and will be further articulated in the context of the Action Plan to build an affordable, high-quality, accessible early childhood education and care system that Government has committed to publishing.

Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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50. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for an update on the supports she is providing for crèches and early years educators to purchase Irish language learning materials. [50163/25]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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Funding provided by this Department for Early Learning and Care and School-Age Childcare services is provided on the same basis to both Irish-medium and English-medium services, whether inside or outside Gaeltacht areas.

The overall funding provided to all services in contract with the Department - including Irish-medium services - is provided through a number of funding schemes including: the National Childcare Scheme, the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Programme, Core Funding, the Access and Inclusion Model, and Equal Start. Service providers can use public funding for a wide range of purposes, including purchase of learning materials, whether in English or in Irish.

The Department provides funding to a number of support organisations to support services and educators with the development of Irish language learning materials. In particular, this Department has provided funding to Gaeloideachas in 2025 to support Irish-medium Early Learning and Care settings.

The Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht provides additional supports for Irish-medium Early Learning and Care services in the Gaeltacht through its agencies and organisations such as Comhar Naíonraí na Gaeltachta.

In addition, the Nurturing Skills Learning Hub, which is available bilingually in both English and Irish, provides educators with easy access to learning materials and training opportunities in several areas, including inclusive practice, health and wellbeing, and the Irish language.