Sat, Apr 18, 2026
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Green Party Chair and candidate for the Dublin Central by-election, Councillor Janet Horner has called on the Government to speed up the delivery of childcare places.
Cllr Horner was speaking after Stuart Buchanan, Head of Advocacy and Impact at the YMCA, told the Oireachtas Committee on Children and Equality that there are a number of empty creches across Dublin:
“The news that so many potential early years services are lying empty will be of incredible frustration to parents and families across the country who are struggling to find an affordable childcare place for their children. However, it won’t be a surprise - in Dublin I have seen many new developments where developers have just about met the planning requirements, but where an actual service is not viable and therefore it lies empty.”
Cllr Horner also called for childcare to be treated by Government as a public service, adding:
“High-quality, affordable and inclusive childcare is vitally important for supporting children’s development in those crucial early years, and for supporting women, parents and families not just in going back to work, but in having the support to be involved in every aspect of life. The Government must treat childcare as the public service that it is.
The statement from Stuart Buchanan is further proof that the market won’t fix the problems that parents are facing accessing childcare. I want to see the Government stand up and take a much more active role: by starting to roll out public delivery of childcare places, starting with areas and communities where there is clear under-provision. They also must step in to ensure that educators are properly paid and supported.”
Referring to the Green Party policy of moving towards a €200 a month cap on the cost of childcare, with additional free of charge access for families on lower incomes, and the delivery up of State run facilities, Cllr Horner concluded:
“In the last Government the Green Party made tackling childcare costs a key priority, but this Government has stalled on investing in children - I want to see affordable, inclusive childcare for all and that won’t happen unless the Government steps in.”