Childcare Services
Dail Éireann — 2026-09-17
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Norma Foley (FF), Kerry

I thank the Deputy. I announced €135 million in capital investment in buildings for high-quality, accessible State-led early learning and childcare up to 2030. This is a ground-breaking initiative for Government and it began this year. Capital funding will be used to acquire and fit out the buildings, depending on requirements. The State-led initiative will provide thousands of places up to 2030, with the funding provided through the national development plan. The level of investment will ramp up over the lifetime of the Government.
The programme was launched earlier this year and has eight objectives, including the delivery of additional supply in suitable locations, cost-effectiveness and timeliness, and supporting improved public management of the sector. A range of tools have been developed to assess projects’ alignment with the programme objectives, including a forward planning model to analyse early learning and childcare supply and demand.
The Department has received project proposals from a number of sources since the programme was launched. These projects are in different stages of development. Some relate to existing buildings ready to be occupied or fitted out, while others are longer term prospects for future years. Not all proposals align with the programme objectives. Some projects are proposed by an existing early learning and childcare service provider, while others relate to a building or property only, where a separate process to identify an operator would be required.
The Department has a long list of projects under consideration, including project proposals received through preliminary appraisal forms from city and county childcare committees. I am advised that no formal proposal has been received from County Kildare via a preliminary appraisal form.
The Department is aware that this list is not exhaustive and I reiterate that the scheme remains open. There is an opportunity for people to make proposals at any point and I am very happy to do that. As Deputy Wall is aware, the first point of contact is the local city and county childcare committees.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-09-17/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-09-28T05:50:48+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-09-17