2026-04-23

123. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she has identified sites for the Government’s pilot for public childcare facilities, and if she has considered Kildare South, given the urgent lack of childcare places available. [28589/26]

Has the Minister identified sites for the Government's pilot for public childcare facilities? Has she considered Kildare South given the urgent need and lack of childcare facilities in that part of the county?

The Deputy will be aware that we recently announced €135 million in capital investment in buildings for high-quality accessible State-led early learning and childcare. The process begins this year, as he said, with investment in buildings in what will be a groundbreaking initiative for the Government. Capital funding will be used to acquire or fit out building, depending on the requirements. Up to eight buildings will be selected for investment this year and the State-led initiative will provide thousands of places to 2030 using the €135 million provided in the national development plan. The level of investment will ramp up over the lifetime of the Government. The Department has received project proposals from a number of sources since the programme was launched and there are also projects the Department was aware of prior to the programme's launch. In total 82 potential projects across the country have been received as of 17 April. These projects are at very different stages of development and it is also important to acknowledge this. Some relate to existing buildings ready to be occupied and ready to fit out. Others, however, are much longer-term prospects for the future. Not all proposals align with the programme objectives and some may be funded by other means, including the next round of the building blocks scheme or whatever might be more appropriate to the application that has been received. Some projects have been proposed by an existing early learning and childcare service provider while others relate to a building or property only and a separate process to identify an operator will be required. Included in the long list are three proposals from County Kildare that have been submitted to the Department. The Department will continue to seek potential projects for consideration. There will be a particular focus in the new State-led facilities on providing places for children aged between one and three, with capacity for these children to continue in the service until they start school, because this is where the need is greatest. The aim of delivering additional supply of this type in suitable locations will include rural areas and urban areas that are not well served at present.

I thank the Minister and I appreciate her reply. The fact we have 82 potential sites throughout the State is encouraging at this stage. Is the process closed for expressions of interest? When the Minister suggests that some projects are from existing suppliers of childcare and others are for properties only, does she have a breakdown of those? With regard to State-led services, is the State proposing to take over existing childcare providers in a State-led childcare service or will it be through co-operation between those existing providers and the State? I stress the problems that I am made aware of on a daily basis in County Kildare. The Minister will be aware that I have raised them a number of times. I would like a breakdown between existing buildings and services and what is property only, and how the Department are treating these.

I acknowledge there are three applications in Kildare and they will be adjudicated in due course. The purpose of the State-led system is to step in where there is no provision. The point I was attempting to make on existing providers is that they may well be better suited to the building blocks arrangement. We have just announced a €10 million investment for private powders or community providers in the core funding model who can apply to extend their premises and provide additional places. Some of the applications that have come in might be more suited to this. I acknowledge that in assessing the sites and buildings, they will have to align with the objectives of the programme. If we have a building that is ready, it will be about the fit-out of the building or maybe the purchase of the building, and there would have to be a tendering arrangement for a provider to come in and carry out the work.

I appreciate the Minister clarifying this as it is an important distinction to make. Existing providers have access to other programmes to increase their level of service and this is important. Are those with a building excluded from putting forward that building? I want to mention the Kilcullen area of County Kildare. I am not sure whether one of the three is for this area. I have raised with the Minister previously the issue whereby upwards of 100 children are without a childcare service in that town. This is replicated throughout Kildare South where the population has increased. We have a very young population. Parents get up very early in the morning to travel 30 km or 40 km to avail of childcare services in other towns. Some of them travel into Dublin to avail of services. This cannot continue. This is a great opportunity for the Government to look at areas such as Kildare and develop State-led services. I ask the Minister to look at this and maybe she can confirm whether the option to propose buildings is still open.

To be fair, it is a rolling application and it is still possible to nominate or submit buildings. There will come a point where we will have to say they will be considered in 2027 as opposed to 2026 and I want to be clear on this. At present we are still accepting them. In terms of Kildare, under the previous building blocks scheme two proposals were accepted and funded. I encourage more providers, either in Kildare or anywhere else throughout the country, to take a look at the scheme extension we announced earlier this week as it is a very suitable scheme for many who wish to extend their premises. I also acknowledge the role of local city and county childcare committees. There is a consultation process under way on wider early years and learning in terms of the conversation on education. Great work is being done by the local city and county childcare committees, and those who are willing to put forward their buildings, thoughts or ideas must first go through the city and county childcare committees and I want to make this clear.