Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 19 May 2026
858. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the role the local city and county council's and the community childcare committees have in providing local community childcare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36973/26]
View answerThe Department funds 30 City/County Childcare Committees (CCC) to act as its local agent in the delivery of the national early learning and childcare programmes and the implementation of Government policy. Instituted in the early 2000s, the CCC were established as the key local component in the development of a co-ordinated approach to quality early learning and childcare and to advance the provision of these facilities in their local areas.
The role of the CCC is to provide support and guidance to providers and parents in their local area in relation to the various early learning and childcare programmes and support quality in keeping with national practice frameworks and policy objectives.
CCC act as local agents for the Department in:
• Supporting families in accessing early learning and childcare services;
• Supporting early learning and childcare services regarding quality of provision, compliance with programme rules and new service providers in their start-up;
• Delivering training and continuing professional development opportunities for providers and their staff;
• Identifying and assisting the Department in resolving supply management issues at a local level;
• Supporting the achievement of the National Action Plan for Childminding at local level and administering the Childminding Development Grants funded by the Department.
While CCC act on behalf of the Department to support providers at a local level, other than Mayo CCC, whom operate under the aegis of Mayo County Council, they have no formal affiliation with their respective local authorities. They are independent, voluntary organisations with a distinct legal identity and board of directors. However, the nature of their role means that they may have some interaction with local authorities when appropriate.
The 2001 Planning Guidelines for Childcare Facilities support local authorities in planning matters related to early learning and childcare buildings, including in certain instances requiring the development of buildings as part of large scale housing developments. Under the 2001 Guidelines, planning authorities should encourage the development of a broad range of early learning and childcare facilities in their Development Plans, and ensure that Development Plans and Local Area Plans include policies in relation to the provision of these facilities. Such policies should include the active promotion of consultation and participation with CCC in the provision and monitoring of a County Childcare Strategy, and updating and developing baseline data on the quality of existing and prospective needs in association with the CCC.
For new developments, the Guidelines set a benchmark provision of one early learning and childcare facility per 75 dwellings. Any modification of this provision should include reference to the results of any needs analysis carried out as part of a county childcare strategy or carried out as part of a local or action area plan or as part of the development plan in consultation with CCC, which will have identified areas either well-served or under-served.
The Programme for Government commits to reviewing these guidelines. To assist in this work, an Early Learning and Childcare Planning Matters Working Group was established in 2024 and has met a number of times since then. It includes officials from the Department; the Department of Housing, Local Government, and Heritage; and the Department of Education and Youth. Members of the Group have also met with local authority planning officials, nominated by the County and City Management Association Planning and Land Use Committee to identify important considerations for the review. These considerations include ensuring that buildings developed on foot of the guidelines meet the needs of the local population and are fit for purpose, and balancing the need to ensure sufficient provision for children and families with ensuring that buildings are effectively operated as intended. These issues will inform a wider engagement with local authorities.
An important step in preparation for revising the Guidelines is to engage with local authorities with experience of applying the current Guidelines to understand their impact and issues arising. The findings of this process will inform the scale and content of revisions to the Guidelines.
In addition, the Department has gathered information from CCC on housing developments granted planning permission since 2017 that have been subject to the 2001 Guidelines, and the position with early learning and care facilities in these developments. This information is based on the Committees local knowledge and insights, and there may not be complete information in all instances. The data is under review with a view to improving the evidence base on the impact of the Guidelines.
I can also advise that the Department of Children, Equality and Disability has been notified by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage that it is to be included as a prescribed body in relation to planning applications which may be expected to generate significant additional demand for early learning and childcare.
