38. Deputy Gino Kenny asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth his plans to increase childcare places; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26082/24]

My Department is progressing a range of actions to ensure the supply of early learning and childcare is aligned with demand, with work in this area led by a new Supply Management Unit that I established earlier this year.

A key part of the Supply Management Unit’s remit is to develop a planning function for monitoring, analysing and forecasting of the supply and demand - akin to the Forward Planning Unit in the Department of Education.

The Unit will also oversee the administration of capital investment under the National Development Plan, through the Building Blocks Capacity Grant. The primary focus of the Building Blocks Capacity Grant Schemes is to increase capacity in the 1-3 year old, pre-ECCE, age range for full day or part-time care. I hope to announce details of the Building Blocks Extension Grant Scheme in the coming weeks.

Additionally, my Department is currently engaging with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage to examine and review the 2001 Planning Guidelines for Local Authorities on Early Learning and Childcare Settings with a view to updating them.

The Department of Education published procedures on the use of school properties and sports facilities outside of school hours to highlight the value of school infrastructure being used to deliver early learning and childcare and school age childcare services. These procedures outline steps necessary to consider school facilities for other activities beyond their core function and to maximise their use for local communities. It is positive to see the Department of Education encourage this type of use of school buildings, particularly for early learning and childcare and school age childcare services, and to provide support to schools to make these spaces available. Currently 15% of early learning and care and school age childcare services are delivered on school premises and I hope that this can be further developed.

Other work across my Department will also contribute to increasing the numbers of places.

Core Funding, which began 2022, has proven to be effective in expanding capacity. Year 2 of the scheme provided for capacity growth of 3%, which has materialised and for Year 3 of the scheme, additional funding will be directed towards a further 5.6% increase in capacity growth.

In addition, under the National Action Plan for Childminding, I have committed to opening up access to the National Childcare Scheme to parents who use childminders following the extension of regulation to childminders this autumn. This will increase the numbers of funded and regulated early learning and childcare places available.