It’s imperative that Minister for Children Norma Foley presents her department’s rough plan for the rollout of public, not-for-profit childcare to the Oireachtas Childrens Committee for scrutiny and input from the sector’s experts, according to Social Democrats children spokesperson Aidan Farrelly.
Deputy Farrelly said:
“I commend the Minister for this potentially monumental policy shift towards the provision of public childcare, but this plan cannot be drip-fed to families and the wider sector.
“The government must take an evidence-informed approach towards this transition and keep stakeholders in the loop – without listening to those who will be affected, any plan is doomed to fail.
“The Minister must clarify which stage of development this plan has reached: how many buildings have been identified for purchase? Have buildings been identified in all areas of need? What is the timeline for purchase and refurbishment of these properties?
“In areas where there are no suitable buildings to purchase, have viable sites been identified for development? If they have been, what is the timeline and cost of construction identified by the Department?
“These questions need answers so that families who use childcare services and members of the sector can contribute valuable insights to the development of this plan – right now, we are in the dark.
“Without the details, we have no way of evaluating the State’s level of ambition, which to this point has been dismal – sectoral experts must be involved at each step to shape this policy going forward.
“I’m calling on Minister Foley to present this plan to the Oireachtas Children’s Committee for discussion so that we may evaluate where we’re at and what needs to be done.”
January 20th, 2026