Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 27 January 2026
870. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether, under the new State-led, not-for-profit childcare facilities plan, her Department would consider purchasing a childcare facility which is to be built shortly by a developer at Castlefield Hall, Dublin 15. [5940/26]
View answerImproving access to quality and affordable Early Learning and Care and School Age Childcare is a key priority of Government.
As announced last week, €135 million in funding will be made available for the State-led Early Learning and Childcare Capital Programme to enable the provision of high-quality, accessible early learning and childcare.
The process will begin in 2026 with capital funding used to acquire and/or fit out building depending on, depending on requirements of specific projects. The Department will work with not-for-profit providers to design, open and operate services.
Up to eight buildings will be selected for investment this year, with the initiative providing thousands of places up to 2030 using the investment provided through the National Development Plan.
Local City and County Childcare Committees supporting the development of projects so in the first instance, community early learning and childcare operators, local authorities, developers, or others who might have a suitable premises or project should contact their local City/County Childcare Committee, whose details can be found here: www.gov.ie/en/department-of-children-disability-and-equality/publications/city-and-county-childcare-committees/.
To assess the extent of need in the areas surrounding potential sites, a Forward Planning Model has been developed within the Department. The model seeks to identify the nature and volume of different types of early learning and childcare places across the country and how that aligns with the numbers of children in the corresponding age cohorts at local area level.
As well as the Forward Planning Model, a suite of appraisal criteria and tools have been developed in order to assess the alignment of sites with Departmental goals of promoting quality, inclusion, accessibility and affordability.
