Press release: Minister Foley announces €25 million in funding to deliver 1,500 additional early learning and childcare places

Full Press Release

Minister Foley announces €25 million in funding to deliver 1,500 additional early learning and childcare places

Minister for Children, Disability and Equality, Norma Foley has today announced €25 million in funding to deliver 1,500 additional early learning and childcare places.

The Building Blocks Extension Scheme will deliver additional capacity by supporting existing private and community early learning and childcare providers to extend their premises. It will also allow community services to purchase or construct new premises.

Grants of up to €500,000 are being provided for large-scale extensions for community and private early learning and childcare services.

Grants of up to €750,000 are being allocated to purchase or construct new premises for community early learning and childcare services.

In total, 49 community and privately operated services have been shortlisted for funding under the scheme.

Minister Foley said:

“I am very pleased to approve the shortlisting of these services under the Building Blocks Extension Scheme. These projects will deliver 1,500 quality, affordable places for children in areas where they are needed most, which is a key priority of the Government. It will be a huge boost for parents in these areas.”

“I absolutely recognise that we need to go further to support parents, educators, practitioners and providers across the early learning and childcare sector, with the focus always on ensuring positive experiences for children. I will be developing an action plan to set out the important next steps that build on the very positive foundations we now have in place.”

Minister Foley

The Building Blocks Extension Scheme funds additional places through four categories

  • extensions to existing premises for private early learning and childcare services
  • extensions to existing premises for community early learning and childcare services
  • purchase of new premises for community early learning and childcare services
  • construction of new premises for community early learning and childcare services

All early learning and childcare services were required to deliver net increases in full-time places for one to three-year-olds in order to qualify for Building Blocks funding.

In line with the State’s policy of universal accessibility for people with disabilities, early learning and childcare services getting Building Blocks funding are also required to incorporate Universal Design Guidelines for early learning and childcare services so premises can be used by children, parents and staff of all abilities.

All early learning and childcare services getting Building Blocks funding have provided a comprehensive construction plan that has outlined in detail all elements and stages of the proposed works. A team of architects at the Office of Public Works appraised the quality and readiness of the applications, and Pobal reviewed the evidence of need.

Minister Foley thanked the Office of Public Works and Pobal for assisting the Department of Children, Disability and Equality in the delivery of the Building Blocks scheme.

Minister Foley has contacted the successful services to advise them of the next steps. It is expected that the projects will commence in the coming months, with many of the additional places coming on stream to towards the end of the year.

The Building Blocks Extension Grant Scheme is part of the wider Building Blocks Capital Programme for Early Learning and Childcare under the National Development Plan. It is the third capital scheme under the Building Blocks programme. It follows the Building Blocks Improvement Grant, delivered in 2023 and the Building Blocks Expansion Scheme, delivered in 2024

Minister Foley is currently considering the possibilities for future capital programmes, including potentially operating a Building Blocks type scheme next year to support the expansion of provision by existing providers, subject to budgetary provision. As soon as those details are finalised, there will be further communication with the sector.

Notes

Building Blocks Extension Grant Scheme

Strand 1: Extensions to private services

  • private providers could apply for funding between €50,000 (min) and €250,000 (max) to extend existing premises
  • match funding was required with a maximum contribution by the Department of €250,000 or 50% of total project costs, whichever was lower
  • project values between €100,000 and €650,000 were eligible, with any additional project costs exceeding €500,000 to be funded by the service

Strand 2: Extensions to community services

  • community providers could apply for funding between €100,000 (min) and €500,000 (max) to extend existing premises
  • project values between €100,000 and €650,000 were eligible
  • any additional project costs between €500,000 and €650,000 to be funded by the service

Strand 3: Purchase of building to supplement an existing premises or to replace a leased premises (community only)

  • community providers could apply for funding between €300,000 (min) and €750,000 (max) to purchase and fit out an Early Learning Childcare facility or a premises that could be easily adapted for this purpose
  • any additional project costs exceeding €750,000 to be funded by services, subject to a maximum project value of €1,500,000
  • services could purchase a premises to supplement their existing premises or to replace a leased premises

Strand 4: Construction of a new premises (community only)

  • community providers could apply for funding between €300,000 (min) and €750,000 (max) towards the cost of building a new premises or installation of a modular building
  • any additional project costs exceeding €750,000 to be funded by services, subject to a maximum project value of €1,500,000
  • services could construct a premises to supplement their existing premises or to replace a leased premises

As part of the application process, services were required to submit a Project Execution Plan, which sets out in detail the proposed work, along with the costings and timeframe for delivery of the project.

Applicants were required to deliver a certain minimum number of full-time places children aged 1-3 (pre-ECCE) in line with the value of the grant funding that they were seeking as set out below.

 

 

Name of Service Area County 0-3 Places to be delivered Strand Indicative allocation
Community Extension Strand
Donoughmore Family Resource Centre Donoughmore Cork 20 Community Extension €437,303
Loughgraney Kids Corner Feakle Clare 10 Community Extension €189,989
Obair Newmarket-on-Fergus CLG Newmarket-on-Fergus Clare 27 Community Extension €500,000
Cois Ceim Crèche Lisdoonvarna Clare 28 Community Extension €500,000
Ballymachugh Childcare Group Kilnaleck Cavan 27 Community Extension €500,000
Shercock Child Resource Centre Shercock Cavan 34 Community Extension €500,000
Ballyjamesduff Community  Crèche Ballyjamesduff Cavan 30 Community Extension €500,000
Creeslough Community Childcare Services Creeslough Donegal 44 Community Extension €500,000
Newbridge Family Resource Centre Newbridge

 

Kildare 30 Community Extension €500,000
Bright Sparks Allenwood Kildare 36 Community Extension €500,000
Oasis Freshford Kilkenny 41 Community Extension €500,000
Urlingford Community Centre Urlingford Kilkenny 12 Community Extension €226,187
Duagh Childcare Listowel Kerry 15 Community Extension €335,000
The Hive Summerhill Meath 18 Community Extension €289,564
Clones Community Childcare Clones Monaghan 20 Community Extension €366,382
Cuain Bhríde Four Mile House Roscommon 36 Community Extension €500,000
Nenagh Childcare Centre Nenagh Tipperary 27 Community Extension €492,595
Happy Days Crèche Ballyporeen Tipperary 17 Community Extension €117,360
Lios na nÓg Passage East Waterford 10 Community Extension €198,200
Raheen Crèche Raheen Wexford 25 Community Extension €500,000
Teach na nÓg Carrig on Bannow Wexford 10 Community Extension €199,590
Riverside Early Childhood Centre Limerick City Limerick 61 Community Extension €500,000
Glor na nÓg Aghamore Mayo 20 Community Extension €245,000
Newbliss Childcare Services Ltd Newbliss Monaghan 22 Community Extension €500,000
Private Extension
Magic Years Beechlawn Clonsilla Dublin 18 Private Extension €250,000
Acorn Crèche and Montessori Naas Kildare 34 Private Extension €250,000
Naoinra Montessori Lusk Lusk Dublin 12 Private Extension €84,375
Classes Afterschool Cork City Cork 25 Private Extension €88,485
The Learning Tree Kilmacrennan Donegal 12 Private Extension €195,414
Mary’s House Ballapousta Ballapousta Louth 54 Private Extension €250,000
Inis Óg Childcare Inniskeane Monaghan 15 Private Extension €70,576
Community Construction
Banteer Community Childcare Services CLG (BCCS) Banteer Cork 28 Community Construction €750,000
Rainbow Childcare Crèche (Community Childcare Bantry) Bantry Cork 35 Community Construction €750,000
Rathoe Community Childcare Rathoe Carlow 30 Community Construction €599,954
Letterkenny Community Childcare CLG Letterkenny Donegal 54 Community Construction €750,000
Cherry Orchard Community Childcare Services Ltd Cherry Orchard Dublin 40 Community Construction €750,000
Little Voyagers Childcare Tralee Kerry 39 Community Construction €750,000
Banogue Community Crèche CLG Croom Limerick 35 Community Construction €750,000
Trim Community Childcare CLG Trim Meath 51 Community Construction €750,000
Tubbercurry Family & Childcare Resource Centre Tubbercurry Sligo 33 Community Construction €695,085
Boston Community Childcare Ltd Tubber Clare 20 Community Construction €428,894
Knockatallon Community Childcare CLG Knockatallon Monaghan 45 Community Construction €750,000
Ardaghey Community Childcare Ardaghey Monaghan 38 Community Construction €750,000
Birchgrove Childcare Mountrath Laois 42 Community Construction €309,475
Carrickroe Community Childcare Carrickroe Monaghan 41 Community Construction €647,251
Community Purchasing
Askea Community Services Carlow Town Carlow 36 Community Purchasing €750,000
Eivers Lane Childcare Mohill Leitrim 44 Community Purchasing €750,000
Spraoi agus Spoirt Carndonagh Donegal 55 Community Purchasing €750,000
Krafty Kidz Ballyconnell Ballyconnell Cavan 40 Community Purchasing €750,000
Total     1,496