NWC calls for rollout of publicly-delivered childcare in Budget 2026

Published: Monday, August 25, 2025

The National Women’s Council today (25th August) called on the Government to bring in a public system of early childhood education and care, amid media reports that creches and childcare facilities are being left empty or converted by developers. This is despite an ongoing accessibility crisis for families right across the country.

Specifically, NWC is calling on the Government to allocate €30m in the upcoming Budget to begin the rollout of publicly-delivered early childhood education and care services, as part of a broader package of €300m for the childcare sector to tackle affordability, access, and to support better wages and conditions for educators. 

NWC’s call for a public system of childcare is supported by the Together for Public Alliance, a group of over 40 civil society organisations, trade unions, academics and childcare provider. 

 Orla O’Connor, NWC Director, said:
 “Parents across the country will be enormously frustrated by the news that many large housing developments have not fulfilled their obligations to facilitate local early childcare education and care services. Given the scale of the crisis facing women and families in accessing places, it beggars belief that so many childcare spaces are left empty or converted when they should be providing a much-needed service for the local community.

 “The State needs to play a much more active role in ensuring that every family has access to affordable, high-quality childcare. In instances like this where there is demand but no places, and where the physical spaces are there, the state needs to be stepping in directly to provide services. This should be done as part of a transition to a public system of early childhood education and care, where we recognise early childhood education and care as a vital public service and guarantee a right to every child to high quality childcare.

NWC is calling on Government to allocate €30m in the upcoming Budget to begin the rollout of publicly-delivered early childhood education and care services, as part of a broader package of €300m for the childcare sector to tackle affordability, access, and to support better wages and conditions for educators. 

Donal Swan, Women’s Economic Equality Co-ordinator, said:
 “Lack of access to childcare is a gender equality issue – it restricts women’s ability to engage in all aspects of life, from community, cultural and social life, to accessing paid employment. Marginalised women are particularly affected by these barriers, from migrant women and disabled women to lone parents and Traveller and Roma women. Access to high-quality early years education and care is also vital for early childhood development for those families who avail of it.

 “Our planning system must be much better integrated with the childcare needs of our families and communities. Informed by local needs, our planning system must be robust enough to ensure that the early years sector is not left at the whim of the market, but that the State has an active and engaged role in ensuring that every family has access to this vital public service, similar to our primary school system. This can only be done most effectively by transitioning to a public system of early childhood education and care.”

Find out more about Together for Public https://www.nwci.ie/discover/what_we_do/together_for_public