Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 24 March 2022
12. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if new grant aid schemes will be introduced in 2023 in respect of the upgrading of existing childcare facilities and the provision of new accommodation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15371/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department successfully secured €70m in the revised National Development Plan (NDP) allocation, which will enable significant capital investment in early learning and childcare over the period 2023-2025.
This adds to the substantial level of capital investment by the State in recent years through my Department’s Annual Capital Programme which has, since 2015, funded the creation of more than 27,000 new places and has funded the upgrading of early learning and childcare services, with specific funding streams for services to comply with fire safety regulations and public health guidance in the context of Covid-19 and specific funding streams to enhance outdoor areas in these services.
Funding under the NDP will also allow the very significant capital investment by the State under the Equal Opportunities Childcare Programme (EOCP) (2000-2006) and the National Childcare Investment Programme (NCIP) (2006-2013)) to be protected.
Investment under the NDP will consist of three pillars: Modernisation, New Capacity and First 5 Initiatives.
€10m in NDP funding has been allocated to Modernisation in 2023 - with much of the existing early learning and childcare infrastructure previously funded under EOCP and NCIP now in need of upgrading in order to be fully compliant with new regulations and to take account of new guidelines published by my Department, including the Universal Design Guidelines for Early Learning and Childcare Services and the National Quality Guidelines for School-Age Childcare Services.
Over the period 2024-2025, the remaining €60m in NDP funding has been largely earmarked for new places, to ensure that the supply of early learning and childcare places meets demand.
In addition to funding under the NDP, my Department is taking a number of other steps to ensure demand the supply of early learning and childcare places meets demand, including steps to strengthen the capacity to forecast supply and demand, updating the 2001 Planning Guidelines for Local Authorities on Early Learning and Childcare Settings, in partnership with the Department of Housing Planning and Local Government (DHPLG), and proactively engaging with early learning and childcare services, through City/County Childcare Committees, in areas where there is unmet need for early learning and childcare from families.
