In recent developments, the Seanad was briefed about the possibility of the State purchasing unoccupied childcare facilities to augment capacity. Roderic O’Gorman, the Minister for Children, expressed his interest in the concept following a discussion centred around a Fine Gael motion regarding childcare provision.
Senators highlighted the strain on the availability of childcare spaces in different regions of the country, acknowledging the challenges that parents often face when seeking slots for their babies. Senator Emer Currie from Dublin West, who championed the motion, drew attention to persistently vacant childcare facilities in her locality that had been established as a part of housing projects.
In addition, the Senator referenced 2001 guidelines, which stipulate the requirement of a minimum of one childcare institution for every group of 75 newly constructed residences. She attributed the failure to adhere to this guideline to exploitable criteria such as the exclusion of single-bedroom flats from the count of 75 houses. Currie proposed the immediate cessation of such loopholes.
The provision by developers of bare units also came under Senator Currie’s scrutiny. She criticised these instances as yielding unfit outcomes in terms of location, size, layout, and adherence to regulations and expressed her concern over the substantial following costs that made it economically impractical for childcare providers to adopt them.
Currie had put together a report advocating improved planning for childcare, suggesting among its recommendations that the Government devise a new strategy for the State to procure childcare facilities constructed by developers, which could afterwards be rented out to providers at a fair price.
Addressing these issues, Minister O’Gorman conceded that childcare presents “real challenges”. Yet, he highlighted the coalition’s progress in reducing costs for parents, increasing employees’ wages, and ensuring sustainability for service providers. Additionally, he recognised that the current availability poses a significant task, pledging collective action to surmount this.
The leader of the Green Party added that the Departments of Children, Housing, and Education were collaborating to scrutinise the effectiveness of existing planning guidelines. He further mentioned the consultation of an expert group on the potentiality of “public provision”.
He hinted at a potential openness to the suggestion of the State buying shell buildings as a possible leaseback model, suggesting it may also provide a direct service to community providers. Mr O’Gorman announced a commitment of €25 million for the following year as part of the Building Blocks initiative designed to boost childcare capabilities. He emphasised specifically targeting services for children aged one to three with the Building Blocks investment in response to notable challenges in that area. Ms Currie expressed approval of his statements, clarifying her stance that State-acquired properties shouldn’t solely be for private providers. “Numerous trustworthy and experienced providers are keen on extending their services into new buildings, and this move would be beneficial to them,” she pointed out.