State building scheme urgently needed to increase childcare places – Currie

A new state-building scheme specifically for childcare would help ensure families have increased access to affordable childcare, a Fine Gael TD has said.

Deputy Emer Currie, Fine Gael’s spokesperson on childcare, said that by building state-owned childcare facilities, additional places could open in pre-schools and childcare facilities across the country.

“The private sector has played a vital role for years in delivering childcare in our communities, but reliance on the private sector alone will never deliver the capacity we need for children’s early learning, and to enable parents, primarily women, to stay in work.

“If we are serious about changing the delivery of childcare places for local communities, our ambition should be reflected in the upcoming review of the National Development Plan.

“We need to see plans for a state led scheme, where the state builds and purchases state-owned childcare facilities.

“Currently we have a model for building childcare facilities, but it isn’t working to its full potential. 20 childcare places should be delivered for every 75 new dwellings, but exemptions and supplying buildings not fit for purpose gets around that.

“The Programme for Government commits to providing capital investment to build or purchase state-owned childcare facilities.

“On Monday, 1,500 new childcare places were announced nationally, funded by the National Development Plans Building Blocks Extension Scheme costing €25 million, but we need to do more to relieve pressure in the sector.

“The longer we wait the more we miss out the delivery of new childcare facilities in line with the delivery of new housing. We urgently need to see a state building scheme for childcare”, concluded Deputy Currie