Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 27 January 2026
883. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if a priority list of towns and rural communities that are being considered for creche investment under the State build/buy programme will be published, ensuring transparent criteria so communities such as Ballyvourney know when they can expect provision. [6214/26]
View answerImproving access to quality and affordable Early Learning and Care and School Age Childcare is a key priority of Government.
€135 million in capital investment has been made available under the National Development Plan to deliver State-led services which will support high-quality, accessible early learning and childcare. Investment will be focused on areas and provision types of greatest need, including rural and disadvantaged areas and full-day places for younger children.
The State-led capital programme is set to commence in 2026. The Department is now beginning to assess sites/buildings with the help of the forward planning model in order to identify which are best placed to deliver on the goals of the programme.
The forward planning model maps publicly-subsidised provision by service type and age group of children against the numbers of children in the corresponding age bracket in the local area and allows for granular and specific analysis to be undertaken. Given the sensitivity of the data, it will not be made available in its totality but the Department is exploring how best to provide aggregated data on places and populations.
In addition to the forward planning model, a suite of other appraisal tools have been developed to inform the selection of projects in alignment with the programme objectives.
Local City and County Childcare Committees will be looking at possible projects and sharing them with the Forward Planning and Delivery Unit in the Department, 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/.
Up to eight capital projects will be selected under the programme in 2026. No final decisions have yet been made on the specific projects but I look forward to sharing details of projects as they are agreed.
