Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 7 October 2025
507. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the locations where State-led childcare facilities are currently being planned or developed, including projected capacity, opening dates, costs, and the criteria used for site selection. [52983/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Programme for Government commits for the first time to provision of early learning and childcare through State-led facilities adding capacity in areas where unmet need exists.
State ownership of facilities is a very substantial and significant development and offers the potential to influence the nature and volume of provision available and to ensure better alignment with estimated demand.
Early scoping work has been carried out to explore options to introduce a segment of State-led provision. More detailed and extensive policy development and design is ongoing in order to progress to implementation stage, having regard to the wider emerging policy context as set out in the Programme for Government.
The development of State-led early learning and childcare services will be enabled by capital allocation provided in the revised National Development Plan 2026-2030.
This work is being led by a new Forward Planning and Delivery Unit which is focused on identifying areas of need, forecasting demand, and planning for the delivery of public supply within the early learning and childcare sector where required.
A key aspect of the preparatory work being undertaken by the unit is the development of a forward planning model. The forward planning model draws on administrative data to map the child population and location of funded services, and GIS mapping tools to model the link between children and available services. This will enable the identification and comparison of areas of need with a consistent methodology.
The approach to ensuring appropriate levels of early learning and childcare supply, including through State-led facilities, will be further articulated in the context of the Action Plan to build an affordable, high-quality, accessible early childhood education and care system that the Government is committed to publishing.
