I am raising childcare again today. There are not enough places and we have poorly planned spaces. Dublin West is peppered with either unused crèche buildings or sites where crèches were supposed to be built but were not. I know this is happening in other parts of the country too. Developers are currently required to supply crèche facilities in large housing developments but not to industry viable specifications. The result is that some crèches are built too small, are poorly designed or are badly located and they can often be left empty for years. We also have sites where crèches have not been built even though the developments are complete. During a childcare crisis, we cannot have childcare places going to waste. We must have a planning system that prioritises and designs for childcare.

For the first time the State is moving beyond funding alone and directly supporting the creation of childcare places. Under the early learning and childcare capital programme, up to eight facilities will be delivered this year, providing about 800 additional places, focusing on under threes as well as rural and disadvantaged areas. There are very significant planning frameworks governing the development of childcare more generally. Budget 2026 marked the highest ever level of State investment. It is now at €1.5 billion, which is a 12% year-on-year increase but there are still significant issues. There is significant demand on places and we will continue to work on those. I encourage the Deputy to talk to the Minister for children in respect of this. Hopefully, in the forthcoming budget, we will in a position to do more in respect of childcare.