Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 7 November 2023
49. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the progress made to date in rolling out a capital programme for childcare and putting in place a development agency for the sector. [48354/23]
View answerSome €69 million has been allocated over the period 2023-2025 to the early learning and childcare sector under the revised National Development Plan (NDP). This will enable significant capital investment in early learning and childcare across three pillars:
Building Blocks - Improvement Grant;
Building Blocks - Capacity Grant; and
Building Blocks - Innovation Grant.
The Building Blocks - Improvement Grant is now closed. Under the scheme, €9 million was allocated this year in grants for energy upgrades and retrofit projects.
Work is currently underway on the design and delivery of Pillars 2 and 3, which have a combined allocation of €20 million in 2024 and €40 million in 2025.
The Building Blocks – Capacity Grant will fund an expansion of existing services in areas of under-supply. Funding will also be provided to support the development of new services, where most needed. The Building Blocks – Innovation Grant will pilot a range of innovative initiatives such as outdoor early learning and childcare services.
I hope to announce details of the Building Blocks – Capacity Grant later this month. Significant progress has been made in advancing plans for a dedicated state agency for early learning and childcare.
My Department has commenced a comprehensive planning and analysis phase which will include robust stakeholder consultation, an examination of all legal requirements, transition and continuity planning, risk management, and a comprehensive evidence-based cost projection for the establishment and annual running costs of the new agency. This work will culminate in a full agency design and implementation plan which will be presented to Government for approval.
