Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 18 June 2024
308. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the plans in place to increase the number of childcare places throughout County Kildare over the next twelve months; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26265/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraCapital funding has been allocated to the early learning and childcare sector under the revised National Development Plan (NDP). This will enable significant investment in early learning and childcare.
In 2024 and 2025, my Department is delivering capital investment through the Building Blocks Capacity Grant. The primary focus of the Building Blocks Capacity Grant Schemes is to increase capacity in the 1-3 year old, pre-ECCE, age range for full day or part-time care.
The schemes will operate between 2024 and 2025. It will operate over two strands, an Expansion scheme and an Extension scheme to support existing services to increase capacity.
The Expansion scheme offers funding for internal reconfiguration projects valued at between €50,000 and €100,000 that increase capacity. This scheme is now closed and Pobal are preparing to notify the successful applicants.
The Extension scheme will offer funding for larger scale projects to enable existing services to build new capacity on their current site or nearby. The scheme will be formally announced in the coming weeks to allow services to prepare their applications.
Participationin Core Funding is a requirement of both strands. Kildare County Childcare Committee will be providing support to services from Kildare that are applying for funding
A Relative Demand Model has been developed by my Department using the latest census data and information on existing provision and enrolments to generate insights into the extent to which existing levels of supply meet local demand on a county by county basis. This analysis will allow the funding to be targeted to where it is most needed.
A key feature of the Capacity Grant Schemes will be a check to ensure that fees charged by services applying do not exceed a maximum fee threshold. This will ensure that capital investment does not result in the delivery of places that are unaffordable to parents.
