Early Childhood Ireland has warned that without significant investment in the Early Years workforce in Budget 2026, efforts to expand capacity will fall short
As the summer ends, over 1,700 children in Kildare remain on waiting lists for Early Years and School Age Care setting this week.
The latest figures from Pobal, the organisation which administers Early Years programmes, show that up to 1,780 children under the age of three are currently on crèche waiting lists, highlighting the high demand for places in the county.
Early Childhood Ireland has warned that without significant investment in the Early Years workforce in Budget 2026, efforts to expand capacity will fall short.
370 children under the age of 1 are on waiting lists with no places available; 693 children aged 1 to 2 are on waiting lists with 6 places available; and 717 children aged 2 to 3 on waiting lists with 51 places available to them.
Commenting on these figures, Director of Policy at Early Childhood Ireland, Frances Byrne, said, “No child should miss out because of failures to invest properly in this vital workforce, yet that’s exactly what’s happening to thousands of children in Kildare. Without significant investment in Budget 2026, and a renewed focus on staffing, challenges to recruit and retain educators will continue to block efforts to expand access for families.”
In its Budget 2026 Submission, Early Childhood Ireland has urged the government to name a date to bring pay and conditions for Early Years and School Age Care graduates in line with primary school teachers, who are educated and trained to the same level.
This would begin to reverse the average staff turnover rate, which is over 26% in Kildare.
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