Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform Michael McDowell has announced funding of €45 million to create new childcare places.
The funding will lead to the creation of 3,813 new childcare places and will support 2,144 existing places, Mr McDowell said.
Some €41.3 million is being provided for 43 community-based not-for-profit childcare services around the State. An additional €4.3 million is being provided in staffing assistance to 51 community groups and private providers.
Among the groups to receive funding are six childcare services located in third level educational campuses. Both Tallaght Tots at the Institute of Technology, Tallaght and Cuddles Creche at the Cork College of Commerce receive €1 million each.
Other groups receiving funding include the Cherry Orchard Childcare Project in Dublin (€2 million), the Portumna Community Childcare Group in Galway (€1.3 million) and the King’s Island Commnity Creche in Limerick (€900,000).
The Minister announced the funding this afternoon at the publication of School Age Childcare in Ireland,a report of a working group of the National Childcare Co-ordinating Committee.
The report makes a number of recommendations including the use of school premises, where appropriate, as a location to develop a quality school age childcare service. It also lays down guidelines for the delivery of such a service.
The Minister commented that he hoped that the publication of the report and its guidelines would spark local interest in the opportunities which exist to build school age childcare facilities.
"We are constantly striving to develop innovation in the field of childcare. I hope the practical recommendations contained in this report, together with the funding I am making available through the City and County Childcare Committees, will encourage communities to explore the possibilities of after school childcare," he said.
Noting that the number of women at work in Ireland had exceeded 800,000 for the first time at the end of last year, the Minister emphasised the Government’s ongoing commitment to the development of childcare and said he would be making further funding available to address gaps in the availability of childcare services at local level in the near future.