Louis O'Hara (Galway East, Sinn Fein)
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138. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the supports her Department will provide to a group (details supplied) in County Galway in its efforts to establish a new community creche in the town; if there is funding available from her Department for construction and initial operational costs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61448/25]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The Building Blocks Extension Grant Scheme was launched in late 2024. The closing date for applications was 30th January 2025. A total of 78 applications were received with 50 applicants approved to progress to the next stage of the grant process. One service has since withdrawn from the process. The remaining applications are in the process of finalising the legal formalities of the scheme, with projects expected to commence in early 2026.

I am advised that Caltra Community Playgroup did not submit an application for the Building Blocks Extension Grant Scheme and that the cost of their project was significantly above the maximum project value allowable under the Building Blocks Extension Grant Scheme.

As part of the National Development Plan review, the allocation for the 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, which will primarily focus on implementing the commitment to capital investment in State-owned facilities. Making available a further round of funding to existing services to expand their provision will also be enabled by the NDP allocation.

As announced in the context of Budget 2026, €36 million will be available in 2026 for early learning and childcare capital programmes. This will include acquisitions of new buildings through the State-led early learning and childcare programme, investment in expansion of existing early learning and childcare operators through the Building Blocks scheme and a number of quality initiatives including supports to childminders.

The Department is currently examining options for future Building Blocks schemes and I expect to announce details in early 2026.

State ownership of facilities is a very substantial and significant development and offers the potential to influence the nature and volume of provision available and to ensure better alignment with estimated demand.

Detailed and extensive policy development and design is ongoing in order to progress to implementation stage, having regard to the wider emerging policy context as set out in the Programme for Government.