Written answer
Early Childhood Care and Education
The Minister said State-led early years facilities are being planned alongside schools, but the Adamstown site cannot accommodate co-located provision due to its designation, permission and size.
506. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the potential to provide co-located state led early years provision at the location of a planned school (details supplied). [67188/26]
Comment on this
Improving access to quality and affordable Early Learning and Care and School Age Childcare is a key priority of Government.
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.
This is particularly the case with school-age childcare services. Estimated enrolments in school-age childcare, based on Sector Profile data, have grown by 77% over the last three years.
The proportion of early learning and childcare services located on school premises which has reached an all-time high. In the 2021/22 programme year, 15.9% of early learning and childcare services were located on school premises, this increased to 16.8% in the 2022/23 programme year and 19.2% in the 2023/24 programme year. The proportion of early learning and childcare services located on school premises has further increased to 22.5% in the 2024/25 programme year.
The Programme for Government commits to planning the development of State-led facilities in tandem with the school building programme.
Officials in Department of Children, Disability and Equality have met a number of times with officials from the Department of Education’s Planning and Building Unit with a view to sharing expertise and information between the Departments and identifying opportunities for future developments.
The Department of Education has informed officials in the Department that the site referred to by the Deputy is designated as a primary school site in the Adamstown Strategic Development Zone (SDZ) Planning Scheme, prepared by South Dublin County Council. The Department of Education and Youth has purchased this 1.2 Ha site with Outline Planning Permission for a 32-classroom primary school. The site will initially accommodate additional interim classrooms for an existing primary school in the area pending delivery of their new school building and will be used for future educational needs in the area. Given the current planning permission, SDZ designation and site size additional development on this site would not be feasible.