Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 14 May 2024
527. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he is aware of the lack of preschool places in Youghal, County Cork (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21676/24]
View answerThe availability of high-quality early learning and childcare is a key Government priority. My Department monitors early learning and childcare capacity on an ongoing basis, with a particular focus on responding to the unmet early learning and childcare needs of families.
My Department funds 30 City/County Childcare Committees (CCCs), which provide support and assist families and early learning and childcare providers with early learning, and childcare matters. The network of 30 City/County Childcare Committees (CCC) across the country are in a position to match children and families to services operating with vacant places and engage proactively with services to explore possibilities for expansion among services, particularly where there is unmet need.
The service made contact with Cork CCC on 24 April after it had been given notice by the primary school where they are located that they would need to vacate the room by the end of June 2024. The service has been located on this site for 11 years and the provider and parents have made a case to the school to remain, however the school require the use of the room for September 2024.
The provider has been unable to locate a new location for their service for September 2024. The CCC has looked at some potential sites and are supporting parents to find alternative spaces in the locality. Cork CCC maintains regular contact with the provider for support.
My Department is progressing a broad range of actions to ensure the supply of Early Learning and Care (ELC) and School-Aged Childcare meets demand:
Core Funding, the funding scheme introduced in 2022, allocates funding for providers based on the cost of delivery. Though only in operation since September 2022, initial analysis shows that this new funding scheme has given rise to a growth in capacity. Budget 2023 allocated funding to secure a 3% growth in capacity for year 2 of the scheme, which has already materialised. Budget 2024 also secured funding to invest in a further 3% capacity growth from September 2024.
A new Supply Management Unit has been established within my Department to lead on this important work. The development of this function is akin to the Department of Education’s Forward Planning Unit. The Supply Management Unit is overseeing the allocation of new capital investment. €69 million was allocated to my Department over the period 2023-2025 under the National Development Plan to enable capital investment in the early learning and childcare sector. In February, I announced an €18 million capital grant scheme for the Early Learning and Childcare Sector. The grant will provide for an immediate increase in affordable Early Learning and Childcare places in 2024, and will be specifically targeted in areas in where they are needed most. It will be the first of two significant capital investment schemes, to be delivered in 2024 and 2025.
