Childcare Services
Seanad Éireann — 2026-02-10
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Christopher O'Sullivan (FF), Cork South-West

We need to increase the provision of childcare, especially in rural areas. There may be methods and ways of looking at that. It may not be as straightforward as the Senator has presented it. At the moment, the short-term letting legislation is very topical. If someone has a bed and breakfast with planning permission, it may be subject to rates. It probably is. I refer to the old, traditional bed and breakfasts that the Senator and I would have stayed in - not together, by the way - over the years. By comparison, in most cases Airbnbs are not subject to rates. There are disparities in that regard as well. We have to think of that when talking about childcare provision. There are childcare operators who may have a premises that is subject to rates. We have to ensure there is not an issue in terms of competition and fairness. The Senator makes a good point. If the Minister, Deputy Foley, in the context of her comments is supporting looking at this again, I can raise it with her to see if some blend or tweaking of the current legislation can accommodate the type of situation the Senator is speaking about.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-02-10/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:36+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-02-10