Gino Kenny (Dublin Mid West, People Before Profit Alliance)
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5. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the plans to increase childcare places; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39160/24]

Gino Kenny (Dublin Mid West, People Before Profit Alliance)
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My question is about the provision of childcare in the State. This is a burning question for the upcoming general election and has been for the last number of decades, related to childcare provision becoming unaffordable for many parents. What measures has the Government taken in terms of increasing childcare provision in the State?

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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I thank the Deputy for his question. Improving access to quality and affordable early learning and childcare is a key priority for me as Minister. The data available shows that the level of capacity in the sector has risen substantially in recent years. However, I am aware that nationally, and in my own constituency as well, some parents are having difficulty in locating the type of affordable early learning and care provision they would like for their children. That is particularly acute for younger children.

The building blocks capital schemes, which operated over 2024 and will operate next year, are supporting services to increase capacity through two strands, namely, the expansion scheme, which was drawn down this year, and the extension scheme which I will announce in the next number of weeks and which will be drawn down in 2025. The extension scheme will mean €25 million of capital funding is available next year to deliver thousands of new affordable early learning and childcare places. It will offer funding for larger-scale projects to enable both existing community services and private services to build new capacity into their current premises by means of physical extension. It will also allow existing community services to apply to purchase or construct entirely new premises.

This programme of support for the provision of places builds on a substantial legacy of fostering the development of the sector and the establishment and expansion of services, most explicitly through previous capital programmes, but equally through the various current funding streams. My Department will continue to progress a range of actions, such as core funding and the recently launched initiative for childminders, to ensure the supply of early learning and childcare meets demand. Work in this area is being led by a supply management unit which I established in my Department earlier this year.

I will also work closely with ministerial colleagues and particularly with the Minister for housing, Deputy Darragh O'Brien. We are looking to review the regulations surrounding the building of a childcare facility when new housing is built. That happens but as the childcare facility often is not delivered or is not designed appropriately, we are looking to revise those regulations and I hope that we will bring forward drafts soon.

Gino Kenny (Dublin Mid West, People Before Profit Alliance)
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We acknowledge there has been progress in terms of childcare provision but we also acknowledge the disparate nature of childcare in the State where the majority of childcare provision is privatised. The Scandinavian model is a better model as it is publicly funded and childcare provision is essentially free. That is a better model than the disparate nature of what we have at the moment. Does the Minister accept we should have that model rather than the model we have at the moment? Our model is arbitrary in terms of how parents can avail of the provision of childcare. Staff shortages also have a huge effect on childcare. There are a lot of factors in terms of retention of staff. Given all that, does the Minister think the better model is the one we alluded to that is particularly common in Scandinavia?

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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It is important, while acknowledging the imperfections of how our system operates right now, that we always acknowledge the amazing work done in so many services all over the country, both community and private, in looking after our children and providing early learning and care.

I believe there is a greater role for the State in the direct provision of early learning and care, particularly in areas of low provision and where capacity is under pressure. I would like to see the State have a greater role there which would be beneficial in terms of addressing some of those capacity challenges that we spoke about. I agree with the Deputy in terms of the importance of recruitment and retention of staff. That is why in the budget yesterday, I announced a dedicated allocation of core funding in 2025 that is dependent on a new wage agreement being reached between employers and the unions representing childcare professionals.

Gino Kenny (Dublin Mid West, People Before Profit Alliance)
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In terms of cost, childcare for some families is costing over €1,000 per month and that is cheap in some ways. That is a huge cost which is almost like a mortgage. What would the Minister consider a manageable fee if there is still a model where parents have to pay? Those costs should not be accepted. They are crippling for parents. While there are community-based crèches that are free and on-demand, there is also a huge cohort of people who have to pay a huge amount of money. How does one address their childcare needs and the cost for those families?

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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I hope I have demonstrated over the last four years my absolute determination to reduce costs. I have done that through the increases in the national childcare scheme, NCS. On average, we have been able to halve costs for parents. That has to be acknowledged. I would like to go further if I am part of the next Government. I will look to continue to go further but I caution on costs, Deputy. I hope in the next general election childcare is a central issue but I hope the debate is not just about the cost.

Right now, the Deputy's question actually sets out what the bigger challenge is. I believe capacity, rather than cost, is the biggest challenge right now. The big question the next Government has to address is how do we make sure every child has access to the type of early learning and care their parent wants. The first step towards doing that is to provide that statutory right to ECCE as 95% of children get ECCE right now but it is not a legal right. If you enshrine it in law, it places a greater emphasis on the next Government to ensure those places are delivered as the core of early learning and care.