Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 28 January 2026
172. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of early learning and childcare places available for children between the ages of one and three, from 2020 to-date in 2026, in Wicklow; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6732/26]
View answer174. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the locations of the community childcare facilities in County Wicklow; the capacity and age groups of each; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6734/26]
View answer175. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of community childcare facilities nationwide; the capacity and age group of each, by county, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6735/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 172, 174 and 175 together.
Data is not available in the exact manner requested by the Deputy. The most closely aligning data available on capacity in County Wicklow is summarised below.
Each year, Pobal compiles data from Early Learning and Care (ELC) and School-Age Childcare (SAC) providers as part of the Early Years Sector Profile. The most recent published capacity data for the 2024/25 programme year estimated that there were 6,968 children enrolled in ELC and SAC services in County Wicklow. This data also indicated that 51% of service providers in County Wicklow had at least one vacant place and 44%* had a waiting list. Table 1.1 below summarises the estimated number of enrolments and the number of private and community services by county, including an overall national total for the 2024/25 programme year.
Table 1.1
|
County Division |
ELC Estimated Enrolments |
SAC Estimated Enrolments |
Number of Community Services |
Number of Private Service Providers |
|
Carlow |
1,713 |
1,126 |
16 |
38 |
|
Cavan |
2,845 |
1,972 |
30 |
53 |
|
Clare |
3,474 |
2,359 |
37 |
116 |
|
Cork City |
5,805 |
2,808 |
47 |
124 |
|
Cork County |
11,033 |
5,991 |
88 |
300 |
|
Donegal |
5,886 |
3,321 |
76 |
103 |
|
Dublin - Dublin City |
15,692 |
6,797 |
135 |
301 |
|
Dublin - Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown |
7,097 |
3,587 |
26 |
173 |
|
Dublin - Fingal |
10,777 |
4,674 |
17 |
292 |
|
Dublin - South Dublin |
9,026 |
4,250 |
37 |
194 |
|
Galway |
8,836 |
7,880 |
79 |
243 |
|
Kerry |
4,558 |
3,488 |
52 |
102 |
|
Kildare |
8,345 |
3,742 |
8 |
188 |
|
Kilkenny |
3,242 |
1,634 |
29 |
72 |
|
Laois |
3,375 |
1,836 |
18 |
82 |
|
Leitrim |
982 |
1,101 |
25 |
15 |
|
Limerick |
6,214 |
4,792 |
51 |
176 |
|
Longford |
1,309 |
822 |
16 |
25 |
|
Louth |
4,024 |
1,793 |
19 |
90 |
|
Mayo |
3,738 |
2,714 |
55 |
86 |
|
Meath |
7,207 |
3,570 |
26 |
173 |
|
Monaghan |
2,570 |
2,224 |
41 |
26 |
|
Offaly |
2,192 |
929 |
14 |
60 |
|
Roscommon |
1,851 |
1,428 |
27 |
42 |
|
Sligo |
2,429 |
1,754 |
33 |
48 |
|
Tipperary |
5,350 |
4,856 |
39 |
155 |
|
Waterford |
3,585 |
2,047 |
35 |
65 |
|
Westmeath |
3,486 |
1,699 |
23 |
64 |
|
Wexford |
5,267 |
2,939 |
40 |
120 |
|
Wicklow |
5,184 |
1,784 |
20 |
141 |
|
Total |
157,092 |
89,917 |
1,159 |
3,667 |
ELC refers to all children aged zero to four years and non-school going children aged between four and six years. SAC refers to school going children aged between four and six years and all children over six years of age.
*It is important to note that waiting list data should not be used as a measure of overall demand for ELC places. While waiting list data can be used to give an indication of demand for places for a given age group or service type there is no centralised waiting list, each waiting list is managed at service level; an individual child may be on multiple waiting lists in different services and may remain on one or multiple service lists after taking up a place. Additionally, not all services operate a waiting list.
Estimated Enrolments for the 1+ to 3-Year-Old Cohort
Table 1.2 below summarises the estimated enrolments for children aged 1+ to 3 years old in Co. Wicklow.
Table 1.2
|
Programme Year |
Total Enrolments of 1+ to 3yr Cohort |
Total Services |
No. of Community Services |
No. of Private Services |
|
2021/2022 |
888 |
161 |
20 |
141 |
|
2022/2023 |
1,156 |
159 |
21 |
138 |
|
2023/2024 |
1,171 |
162 |
21 |
141 |
|
2024/2025 |
1,299 |
161 |
20 |
141 |
Community & Private Service Provider Breakdown
AEYSP data indicates that on 1 June 2025 there was a total of 4,826 ELC and SAC providers nationally, of which 1,159 were community providers and 3,667 were private providers In Wicklow, there was a total of 161 service providers, of which 20 were community providers and 141 private providers.
A list of services by location and community/private status is available using the ‘childcare search’ function on ncs.gov.ie. Pobal also produce an interactive map of Early Years Services on pobal.ie.
Further information on capacity can be found on the Early Learning and Childcare data website. The Capacity Section of the website provides information on the number of children enrolled, services with vacant places, and services with a waiting list. The Service Providers – Overview dashboard provides information on the number of service providers, with breakdowns such as the number of community and private providers.
