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:

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.

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.