Pádraig Rice (Cork South-Central, Social Democrats)
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552. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she is aware of the lack of sufficient childcare services, particularly after school programmes in Cork (details supplied); the progress that her Department has made to date in expanding access to after-school childcare services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49855/25]

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 for all age groups increased by approximately 19% from the 2021/22 programme year. The estimated number of enrolments for all age groups in Cork County increased by 29% during the same period.

School-Age Childcare has shown particular growth in recent years. The estimated number of enrolments for school-going age groups nationally increased by 56% during this period.

Core Funding application data shows that between Year 1 and Year 3 of the scheme, annual place hours increased by over 15%. 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 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.

A Forward Planning and Delivery Unit in my Department has been allocated additional resources and ito 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 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 current programme year, the allocation for Core Funding allowed for a 6% increase in capacity in 2024/25. Additional funding was secured in Budget 2025 to facilitate a further 3.5% increase from September 2025, in the fourth year of the scheme.

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 City/County Childcare Committees may be found at www.gov.ie/en/department-of-children-equality-disability-integration-and-youth/publications/city-and-county-childcare-committees.