Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 28 January 2026
163. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if there is a scheme for grandparents who are minding their grandchildren due to lack of spaces in creches (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6673/26]
View answerEarly learning and childcare capacity is increasing. However, it appears that demand for early learning and childcare remains higher than available supply in certain parts of the country, particularly for younger children.
The Department continues to support the ongoing development and resourcing of Core Funding which has given rise to a significant expansion of places since the scheme was first introduced. Core Funding, which is in its fourth programme year, funds services based on the number of places available. This provides stability to services, and reduces the risk associated with opening a new service or expanding an already existing service.
The Government is also supporting the expansion of capacity through capital funding. The Building Blocks Extension Grant Scheme is designed to increase capacity in the 1–3-year-old, pre–Early Childhood Care and Education, age range for full day care. Core Funding Partner Services could apply for capital funding to physically extend their premises or to construct or purchase new premises.
Capital funding allocated to the early learning and childcare sector under the National Development Plan has enabled significant investment in early learning and childcare. This allows existing Core Funding Partner Services to extend their existing premises or, in the case of community services, to construct or purchase new premises. The Scheme will deliver up to 1,500 full-day care places for 1- to 3-year-olds.
As announced in the context of Budget 2026, €197 million will be available between 2026 and 2030 for early learning and childcare capital programmes. This will include €135 million which I recently announced in capital investment in buildings for high-quality, accessible State-led early learning and childcare up to 2030. The process will begin in 2026 with the acquisition of buildings in what will be a ground-breaking initiative for this government. Capital funding will be used to acquire and/or fit out the buildings, depending on requirements.
It will also include 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 National Action Plan for Childminding 2021-2028 set out a pathway for the extension of regulation to childminders. As a result of the commencement of the relevant parts of the Child Care (Amendment) Act 2024 and the Childminding Services Regulations, which came into effect on 30 September 2024, childminders are now able to apply to register with Tusla.
Under the amendments made in the 2024 Act, the definition of a childminding service:
"(a) entails an individual taking care, by himself or herself, of children under the age of 15 years, in the home of the individual, and
(b) is provided to children (other than that individual’s own children) for a total period of not less than 2 hours per day."
A key objective of the National Action Plan for Childminding is to enable parents who use childminders to benefit from State subsidies through the National Childcare Scheme. The Childcare Support Act 2018, which provides a statutory basis for the National Childcare Scheme, specifies that only Tusla-registered childminders are eligible to participate in the Scheme. The limitation of public funding schemes to Tusla-registered childcare providers helps to ensure that public funding is provided where there is assurance of the quality of provision.
We are now in a 3-year transition period (to September 2027) during which childminders are being encouraged and supported to register, but registration is not yet mandatory.
This phased approach aims to facilitate the largest possible number of childminders to enter the regulated sector, the sphere of quality assurance, and access to Government subsidies, while recognising the time and supports required for childminders to learn about and prepare for registration.
Supports are available for childminders at local level through the City and County Childcare Committees. Each City and County Childcare Committee employs a Childminding Development Officer, who provides a range of supports to local childminders, including delivery of the short pre-registration training course.
