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.
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 | ||||