Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 14 November 2023
473. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth when he expects the Pobal Annual Early Years Sector Profile 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 to be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49979/23]
View answerThe Pobal Annual Early Years Sector Profile provides a detailed overview of the Early Learning and Care (ELC) and School-Age Childcare (SAC) sector in Ireland, including the numbers of children in receipt of state subsidies, information on ELC and SAC fees, staff wages, qualifications and turnover.
The Sector Profile has played a key role in informing policy development and in assessing the impact of policy change for over 20 years. It is based on a survey of ELC and SAC providers in Ireland and administrative data from my Department's funding schemes.
While the Annual Early Years Sector Profile has been published by Pobal on behalf of my Department as a paper-based report, this year it has been decided that it will be released in a new format. My Department, in partnership with Pobal are currently in the process of developing a new interactive online dashboard for the Sector Profile.
Released in a staggered manner, the first iteration of this new dashboard will see the 2021/22 data be published alongside the 2022/23 data. As the dashboard is still under development there is currently no set release date. It is anticipated that more information will be made available in the coming weeks.
