Politician(s) lobbied: Ciaran Mullooly (MEP), European Parliament
Intent: To highlight the role of accessible and affordable early education and school-age childcare in supporting women’s participation in the workforce, promoting gender equality, reducing barriers to employment and entrepreneurship, and contributing to labour market activation and economic growth.
Methods: Email
Politician(s) lobbied: Norma Foley (Minister), Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth; Kevin Boxer Moran (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas
Intent: To advocate for increased Government investment and funding mechanisms to support the development and expansion of childcare facilities, including consideration of public-private delivery models and measures to increase childcare capacity in areas of identified need.
Methods: Letter
Politician(s) lobbied: Ciaran Mullooly (MEP), European Parliament
Intent: To advocate for the utilisation of European funding mechanisms and programmes to support childcare workforce development, including skills and training initiatives, apprenticeship pathways, regional development measures and supports for women’s entrepreneurship, with the objective of strengthening childcare capacity and labour market participation.
Methods: Email
Politician(s) lobbied: Ciaran Mullooly (MEP), European Parliament
Intent: To highlight the role of sustainable childcare provision in supporting rural communities, including enabling workforce participation, supporting young families, assisting employers with recruitment and contributing to population growth and community sustainability. To advocate for policy measures that support rural regeneration and long-term demographic resilience.
Methods: Email
Politician(s) lobbied: Ciaran Mullooly (MEP), European Parliament
Intent: To raise concerns regarding skills and labour shortages affecting employers, including recruitment challenges, access to training pathways, apprenticeship provision, employment permit processes and workforce retention, and to advocate for measures that support labour market participation, skills development and business competitiveness.
Methods: Email
Politician(s) lobbied: Norma Foley (Minister), Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth; Kevin Boxer Moran (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas
Intent: To encourage the development of a coordinated national strategy for childcare provision, including forward planning of capacity, identification of areas of need and collaboration between Government departments, local authorities and childcare providers.
Methods: Letter
Politician(s) lobbied: Norma Foley (Minister), Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth; Kevin Boxer Moran (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas
Intent: To seek policy measures that facilitate the timely delivery of childcare facilities within new and expanding residential developments, including flexibility in planning and improved coordination between housing and childcare provision. Planning decisions should be informed by robust local data on existing childcare capacity, quality, occupancy, and sustainability to ensure that new provision addresses genuine unmet need and complements rather than undermines established quality services.
Methods: Letter
Politician(s) lobbied: Norma Foley (Minister), Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth; Kevin Boxer Moran (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas
Intent: To advocate for sustainable funding and investment policies that reflect the true cost of delivering high-quality early learning and childcare, support the long-term viability of existing providers, facilitate service expansion where needed, improve access to capital finance, and provide the certainty required for long-term planning and investment.
Methods: Email
Politician(s) lobbied: Norma Foley (Minister), Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth; Kevin Boxer Moran (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas
Intent: To advocate for housing and community planning policies that ensure early learning and childcare provision is planned alongside residential development, using evidence of local demand, existing capacity, and future population growth to support sustainable, high-quality services.
Methods: Letter
Politician(s) lobbied: Norma Foley (Minister), Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth; Kevin Boxer Moran (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas
Intent: To advocate for the review and updating of the Childcare Facilities – Guidelines for Planning Authorities (2001) to provide a modern, evidence-based framework for assessing childcare need, supporting appropriate investment, expansion, and sustainable provision in line with population growth, housing development, and local community demand.
Methods: Letter
