I want to raise again the debate, and the great concern expressed, about childcare places and the challenges around the provision of public childcare facilities versus private childcare facilities. I really stand here today to commend and salute the Minister for children, Norma Foley, who yesterday confirmed that €135 million would be made available for State-led childcare services. That is just the beginning, but I like the ambition of what the Minister is setting out. Her own statement says that this funding is being set aside to provide “high-quality, accessible early learning and childcare”. I like the synergy of early learning, support and childcare as one. It is not a place to house children and fill play hours. It is to help them to develop their cognition, provide supports and give them that advantage when going on to education. We all know it is important that children have early interventions and supports, like childcare.

On the argument of public versus private provision, I think there is potential for public provision, private provision and synergies between both. We have many community buildings in our local authorities that could possibly be used. The Minister has indicated that capital funding will be used to acquire or refit buildings, depending on their requirements. Reading between the lines, though, I think her preferred option is to go for tailor-made, purpose-built facilities. Initially, the announcement is that up to eight buildings will be selected for investment, not next year, but this year, with 100 places per building, which totals 800 places. The State-led initiative is expected to provide thousands of places in the long term out to 2030 using the €135 million as an initial fund and tapping into funds from the national development plan.

I understand the Minister has said she is in discussions with local authorities and State agencies. I would say to our sitting county councillors, though, because I am particularly keen on them and work with them, that they should be raising these issues with their chief executives now, not in six months’ time, to tell the latter to engage with the Minister to see if their local authorities have facilities they could offer.

I thank the Minister for selecting one building in the Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown area at Shanganagh Castle. I am familiar with it. It is built to the highest specifications for childcare but has sat empty for the last nine months. There was a suggestion that it might be hived off to a private childcare facility, but the Minister has stepped in and identified this purpose-built, state-of-the-art childcare facility in an area of demand and need in Shanganagh Castle. I want to be associated with that and to salute the Minister for her courage and ambition in developing the sector.