Emer Currie (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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23. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for an update on the action plan for childcare, as per the Programme for Government. [50180/25]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The Programme for Government outlines the commitment to "undertake a broad consultation and publish a detailed Action Plan to build an affordable, high-quality, accessible early childhood education and care system". Officials in my Department are continuing to develop this Action Plan and are also developing plans for the consultation with stakeholders.

Given the need both to make progress as soon as possible while also allowing time for a broad consultation process, I intend to publish the Action Plan in two phases. This autumn I will publish Phase 1 actions, which will be short-term actions for 2026 and which will reflect the budget made available through the Estimates process for 2026. I will publish Phase 2 actions after completion of the consultation process, which will commence over the coming months.

The Action Plan will look at affordability, access and quality of the early learning and care and school-age childcare system. These three attributes – affordability, accessibility and quality – are closely connected and the ways in which they interact is complex. It will be essential that we make progress in all three areas in parallel in order to deliver on our vision. Officials in my Department are working on an integrated approach to minimise the risk of unintended consequences and to identify opportunities to address multiple policy challenges at the same time.

In setting out plans to deliver on key Programme for Government commitments, the Action Plan will take into account existing plans, including the expert group report Partnership for the Public Good, Nurturing Skills (the Workforce Plan for Early Learning and Care and School-Age Childcare), the National Action Plan for Childminding, and First 5 (the Whole-of-Government Strategy for Babies, Young Children and their Families). The Action Plan will also be aligned with new plans in development, such as the Action Plan for Administrative and Regulatory Simplification.

Officials are examining available research and data that will inform this Action Plan including findings from reviews of the ECCE programme and the Access and Inclusion Model.

Officials in my Department are also examining how recent consultations with stakeholders in the sector can inform the design of the broad consultation process that is committed to in the Programme for Government, having regard to ensuring the voices of children and families, educators and practitioners, providers and other stakeholders within the sector are taken into account.

I will provide further detail on the Action Plan and the consultation process at the earliest opportunity.