Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 7 July 2026
659. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children on waiting lists for public childcare places; the total cost of eliminating childcare waiting lists; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51338/26]
View answerEach year, Pobal compiles data from Early Learning and Care (ELC) and School Age Childcare (SAC) providers as part of the Early Years Sector Profile. Data for the Early Years Sector Profile is typically captured in May/June of each programme year. While ELC and SAC offerings vary across service providers and the allocation of ELC or SAC places is flexible, the published capacity data provides an estimate of the number of children enrolled in ELC and SAC, the percentage of services with at least one vacant place and the percentage of services with a waiting list at a given time.
Data are not collated in the exact manner requested by the Deputy, as there is no public childcare provision in Ireland. Services who are contracted to deliver at least one DCDE funded programme/scheme (i.e. ECCE, NCS, CCSP) are invited to take part in the early years sector profile survey. This includes community services which are run by members of the community on a not-for-profit basis, and private services which are run for profit by private providers, but not public services.
The most recent published capacity data for the 2024/25 programme year indicated that 47% of services had a waiting list nationally.
As part of the early years sector profile survey, providers are asked the number of children on a waiting list for a place for their service. While this data can be used to give an indication of demand, it should not be used as a measure of overall demand for ELC or SAC places as it is vulnerable to overestimating the actual number of children requiring a place. 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. As a result, the number of children recorded on ELC/SAC waiting lists cannot be used as a basis for estimating the cost of eliminating waiting lists, and it is therefore not possible to provide a reliable estimate of the cost of eliminating waiting lists.
Further information can be found on the Early Learning and Childcare data website: www.pobal.ie/data-library/early-learning-and-childcare-data/. The Capacity Section of the website provides information on the number of children enrolled, services with vacant places, and services with a waiting list.
Improving access to quality and affordable Early Learning and Care and School Age Childcare is a key priority of Government.
Early learning and childcare capacity is increasing. Data from the Annual Early Years Sector Profile 2024/25 shows that the estimated number of enrolments increased by approximately 25% from the 2021/22 programme year.
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. The Scheme will deliver up to 1,500 full-day care places for 1- to 3-year-olds.
Following on from the success of the Building Blocks Extension Grant Scheme, a further Building Blocks scheme is open for applications. This round of capital funding will focus on funding extensions to existing premises to allow for increased numbers of children to be offered places on a full-time basis. Community and private providers who are currently Core Funding partner services will be eligible to apply for this scheme. Details can be found here: www.gov.ie/en/department-of-children-disability-and-equality/publications/building-blocks-extension-scheme-phase-2/ .
Separately, I have announced €135 million of capital investment over the coming five years for State-led services to provide high-quality, accessible early learning and childcare. The process is beginning in 2026 with investment in buildings in what will be a ground-breaking initiative. The State-led initiative will provide thousands of places up to 2030.
