1653. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the further steps being considered to support families with the cost of childcare and to improve availability of places; if she will outline any planned measures in this area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43300/26]

The Phase 1 report of Shaping the Future: the Early Years Action Plan was published on 17th December 2025. The report sets out the first steps in the delivery of a number of Programme for Government commitments relating to early learning and childcare this year. A central objective of Shaping the Future is to reduce parental fees to an upper limit of €200 per month over the lifetime of the Government.

Reducing parental fees to €200 per month cannot be achieved through the National Childcare Scheme alone. The fee-freeze and maximum fee-caps required for Core Funding have been key to the progress in recent years in making early learning and childcare services more affordable.

The Phase 1 report of Shaping the Future sets out actions which will be carried out in 2026 using existing policy tools. 2026 actions on affordability will include further reduction in some of the highest fees paid by parents by lowering the maximum fees that Core Funding Partner Services can charge. In addition, from autumn 2026 we will reduce fees for lower-income families through the National Childcare Scheme.

Phase 2 actions will be undertaken from 2027 to 2029. While we need to make progress quickly, the actions we take must be sustainable, underpinned by public consultation and research, and delivered in a way that supports families, the workforce and providers. That is why a broad public consultation process is currently underway. An online survey has been completed, with more than 11,000 responses. 56 local consultation events, organised with the City and County Childcare Committees, took place during April 2026.Results of this consultation process, as well as additional analysis, will inform Phase 2 of the Action Plan.

Phase 2 of Shaping the Future will be published by end 2026.

On the matter of places, early learning and childcare capacity is increasing. Data from the Annual Early Years Sector Profile 2024/25 shows that the estimated number of enrolments increased by approximately 25% from the 2021/22 programme year. However, it appears that demand remains higher than available supply in certain parts of the country, particularly for younger children.

The Department continues to support the ongoing development and resourcing of Core Funding which has given rise to a significant expansion of places since the scheme was first introduced. Core Funding, which is in its fourth programme year, funds services based on the number of places available.

This provides stability to services, and reduces the risk associated with opening a new service or expanding an already existing service

The Government is also supporting the expansion of capacity through capital funding. The Building Blocks Extension Grant Scheme is designed to increase capacity in the 1–3-year-old, pre–Early Childhood Care and Education, age range for full day care. Core Funding Partner Services could apply for capital funding to physically extend their premises or to construct or purchase new premises.  The Scheme will deliver up to 1,500 full-day care places for 1- to 3-year-olds.

Following on from the success of the Building Blocks Extension Grant Scheme, a further Building Blocks scheme will open for applications in 2026. This round of capital funding will focus on funding extensions to existing premises to allow for increased numbers of children to be offered places on a full-time basis. Community and private providers who are currently Core Funding partner services will be eligible to apply for this scheme. Details can be found here: [www.gov.ie/en/department-of-children-disability-and-equality/publications/building-blocks-extension-scheme-phase-2/]

Separately, I recently announced €135 million of capital investment over the coming five years for State-led services to provide high-quality, accessible early learning and childcare. The process will begin in 2026 with investment in buildings in what will be a ground-breaking initiative.

Up to eight buildings will be selected for investment this year. The State-led initiative will provide thousands of places up to 2030.

The Department also funds 30 City/County Childcare Committees, which provide support and assist families and early learning and childcare providers. The network of 30 City/County Childcare Committees across the country can assist in identifying vacant places in services for children and families who need them and engage proactively with services to explore possibilities for expansion among services, particularly where there is unmet need.

Parents experiencing difficulty in relation to their early learning and childcare needs should contact their  local City/County Childcare Committee for assistance. The contact details for the City/County Childcare Committee may be found at  [www.gov.ie/en/department-of-children-disability-and-equality/publications/city-and-county-childcare-committees/]