The supply of childcare places in the growing area of south county Dublin is improving, but 1,800 children are still on waiting lists for services, according to a new childcare strategy for the area.
South Dublin County Childcare Committee's strategy document for the next three years also calls the availability of care for school-aged children "extremely poor".
Although the report warns that figures for children on waiting lists can include those who are not yet old enough to attend a service, and numbers for subsequent academic years, it says they also indicate there is greater demand for places than supply.
In total, 135 services in the county area have waiting lists, with 1,844 children on them, the report says. However, overall it notes an increase of 938 in the number of childcare places in the south county area - which includes Tallaght, Lucan, Clondalkin, Terenure and Rathfarnham - since 2004.
By 2006, the total population of the county council area stood at 246,919, up by about 3 per cent in four years. This is expected to rise by some 15,000 by 2010, the report notes.
The new plan was launched in Tallaght yesterday by the Minister of State for Children, Brendan Smith. He said that funding of more than €135 million had been allocated to the Dublin area to date by the National Childcare Investment Programmes, with €2.2 million going to the south county Dublin area.