Schools should be mandated to provide classrooms for after school childcare, education minister told

Provision of classrooms could also bring in much-needed income

Responding to Mr O'Gorman, education minister Hildegarde Naughton said her department is supportive of school facilities being used for after-hours school-age childcare. Picture: Moya Nolan

The education minister has been called on to mandate primary schools to provide classrooms outside of teaching hours to ease a childcare crisis in some areas.

Around 42% of primary schools currently make facilities available to childcare providers or other organisations, which significantly eases the pressure on working parents and also provides a significant revenue stream to schools.

In 2024, the Department of Education published updated procedures on the use of buildings, including sports facilities outside of school hours, in order to encourage schools to rent out classrooms. However, many schools still opt not to make facilities available, leading to a shortage of childcare facilities in some communities.

Calling on these guidelines to be reviewed, Green Party leader Roderic O'Gorman said: "The biggest challenge for new afterschool services setting up is finding premises to locate it in. That's why I think it should be mandatory for all primary schools to consider requests from afterschool providers."

He added: "These are State-owned buildings, and we should be getting the best value from them."

Mr O'Gorman said these services do not interfere with the teaching day but do provide desperately needed childcare in many parts of the country. He pointed out that it also brings in much-needed income.

The Department of Education confirmed that there is no obligation on schools to report additional income earned in this way to the department; however, as per the procedures on the use of school buildings, costs of providing the service must be covered by the service provider.

Mr O'Gorman said: "I've asked the minister for Education to change the guidelines her department provides for schools so it is mandatory for them to consider a request to run an afterschool service in at least one classroom in their school, and if they are planning to refuse, they have to explain the reasons to both the Department of Education and the Department of Children."

Responding to Mr O'Gorman, education minister Hildegarde Naughton said her department is supportive of school facilities being used for after-hours school-age childcare, and for early learning and care where there is available accommodation that is not required for school-aged education purposes.

However, she said it is important that educational requirements, including special education provision, take precedence for the use of school accommodation.

A spokesperson for the Department of Children said the proportion of services for both early learning and school-age childcare located on school premises has reached an all-time high.

In the 2021/22 programme year, the spokesperson said 16% of early learning and childcare services were located on school premises; this increased to 22% in the most recent 2024/25 programme year.