The Minister for Justice, Mr McDowell, has announced almost 900 new childcare places will be created by the allocation of €5.2 million in grants.
The funding will be made available to both community-based and private childcare providers from the Equal Opportunities Childcare Programme 2000-2006.
The latest funding allocation will make €640,746 available to private childcare providers; community-based groups will receive €3,812,490 for capital developments and €749,724 towards staffing costs.
The money will be used to create 883 new childcare places and support over 511 existing places, the Minister said.
The Equal Opportunities Childcare Programme is funded by the Government and the European Union. The Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform has responsibility for allocating funding.