Early Childhood Care and Education
Dail Éireann — 2025-11-12
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Norma Foley (FF), Kerry

I thank the Deputy. On areas for the State-led public model, there is a forward planning unit in the Department, which is positive. It is specifically examining areas where there is demand but no service provision. I acknowledge that the Deputy has consistently raised issues in her area and the technicalities around the building blocks scheme, in particular for the cohort in Boyle. I am committed to a building blocks scheme in 2026. The detail of that has not yet been worked out, but the principle is there.
In terms of delivery for the State-led model, it is our expectation that anywhere between 600 and 800 additional places will be involved as a first step, together with between six and eight premises. There is a commitment over the next four years, the lifetime of the Government, that we will do more and more in this space in terms of the public-led model. It will involve a combination of what we are doing in that regard, along with the building blocks scheme. As I said, we must not forget that we need to have staff in place. We also need funding for providers.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2025-11-12/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-09-21T01:01:05+00:00
Sitting date: 2025-11-12