Shane Moynihan (Dublin Mid West, Fianna Fail)
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70. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her Department has assessed whether current core funding allocations are adequate to support the sustainability of baby rooms, given the higher staffing ratios required for children under one year of age and the high demand for places in this age group; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49904/25]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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A key priority of my Department is to support improved accessibility of early learning and childcare places, including capacity for young children where there is evidence of undersupply. Core Funding has served as a key vehicle in addressing this insufficiency of supply and making the provision of these places more attractive.

Since its introduction in 2022, Core Funding has provided increased levels of funding to services delivering care to these age ranges, to support these services to meet the higher operational costs created by the higher ratios set out in regulations, and to incentivise increased capacity for babies and younger children under three.

This funding is distributed through the Core Funding base rate which has been incrementally increased over the programme years. The hourly rate underpinned by a place for an individual baby aged 0-1 years for the new programme year (2025/2026) is €1.90 – this represents a 14% increase in the hourly rate for this age group, when compared to the 2022/2023 programme year.

It should be noted that a key objective of First 5: A Whole-of-Government Strategy for Babies, Young Children and their Families is to facilitate parents to care for their child at home during the first year.

As the Government continues to introduce greater supports for parents to avail of maternity, paternity and parental leaves, there is likely to be a reduction in the numbers of very young children in early learning and care settings. The combined durations of Maternity, Paternity and Parents’ Leave and Benefit now equate to 46 weeks’ paid leave for a two-parent family. This is supplemented by an entitlement to 16 weeks of unpaid Maternity Leave, 26 weeks of unpaid parental leave per parent, as well as annual leave entitlements.

The Programme for Government commits to further improvements to leaves including a) introducing the pay-related Parent’s Benefit and b) examining the extension of Parent’s Leave and Benefit

Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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71. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the measures she is taking to address the shortage of childcare places in County Meath; when she will deliver on the Programme for Government commitment to provide State-owned services where gaps exist; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49706/25]

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 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 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.

50 applications were shortlisted to progress to the next stage of the Building Blocks Extension Grant Scheme. These applications come from a mix of Community Extension, Private Extension, Community Purchasing and Community Construction projects, which, when completed, will deliver up to 1,500 additional full time places for 1–3-year-olds. Two services in County Meath were successful. 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 2026-30.

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.

This Department also 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 Meath County Childcare Committee may be found at www.mccc.ie/