Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 12 June 2014
254. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs his plans to increase the capitation to child care providers for the free preschool year; the effect an increase of €10 per child would have; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25010/14]
View answerThe Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme provides for one free pre-school year for all eligible children in the year before commencing primary school. The Government has made a very significant commitment in maintaining the pre-school year on a universal and free basis despite the current budgetary situation.
The free pre-school provision represents an annual investment in the region of €175 million. Almost every pre-school service (more than 4,300) in the State is participating in the programme with approximately 68,000 children availing of free pre-school provision each year. The standard capitation currently provided is €62.50 per week for each eligible child enrolled with a capitation of €73 per week provided where services have staff who hold higher qualifications. An increase in the standard capitation rate of €10 per week for each eligible child would result in an additional cost of over €25 million each year.
More than €260 million is allocated each year to support the childcare programmes implemented by my Department. These programmes support in the region of 100,000 children and the challenge is to maintain these programme in the current budgetary climate. There is no further funding currently available to my Department that would allow me to increase the capitation payments to services participating in the ECCE programme.
