Dáil Éireann Debate, Monday - 11 September 2017
1657. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the amount allocated and drawn down in respect of the learner fund in 2016, and to date in 2017 in the Cavan and Monaghan and north Meath areas and right throughout the country in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37719/17]
View answerThe Learner Fund was established to provide access to appropriate programmes of learning for Early Years sector workers.
The initial phases of funding released (Learner Funds 1, 2 and 3) focussed on those Early Years sector workers who lacked a qualification relevant to Early Childhood Care and Education or lacked a qualification in that area which was placed at, or equivalent to, Level 5 on the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ). A relevant qualification which is placed at or equivalent to Level 5 on the NFQ is the minimum qualifications standard introduced through the Child Care Act 1991 (Early Years Services) Regulations 2016. This standard took effect at the end of 2016. The Learner Funds were introduced as part of a general focus on improving and supporting quality Early Years provision in Ireland, with a specific focus on aiding Early Years workers meet the regulatory requirements in advance of the introduction of same.
Up to the end of 2015, €3,052,648 in funding was allocated and paid through the Learner Funds.
Learner Fund 3 closed for applications in July of 2016. Learner Fund 4 was introduced to allow Early Years sector workers to up-skill to the relevant qualification placed at Level 6 on the NFQ, and closed in October of 2016.
Funding continues to be dispensed to successful applicants through both Learner Fund 3 and 4, and it is not envisaged that the full spend will be achieved until early 2018.
This Department expects to release further Learner Fund monies before the end of the year.
Applications for funding were made through local County / City Childcare Committees (CCC) and payments are being managed by Pobal, who administer the programme on behalf of DCYA in concert with the CCCs. Funding was allocated on the basis of the number of successful applications proposed for funding by each CCC and the spend reflects this.
The total budget for Learner Fund 3 was €406,283. Of this, payments totalling €203,550 were made prior to 2015. The remaining €205,550 was paid in 2016 and is broken down by county in the Table A overleaf.
In relation to Learner Fund 4, the total budget was €915,280. Of this, payments totalling €695,906 have been made for the years 2016/17 while € 219,374 has yet to be drawn down. A breakdown of payments by county to date is included in Table B overleaf.
In 2017, the Department made funding available to provide a bursary to childcare staff who had undertaken higher level courses (Level 7,8 or 9 on the NFQ) at their own expense. A breakdown of payments by county is included in Table C overleaf.
Table A
|
County |
2016 Payment |
|
Galway City and County Childcare |
3,780 |
|
Donegal County Childcare Committee |
0 |
|
Meath County Childcare Committee |
11,095 |
|
Cavan County Childcare Committee |
2,010 |
|
Fingal County Childcare Committee |
17,670 |
|
Sligo County Childcare Committee |
1,920 |
|
Longford County Childcare Committee |
7,140 |
|
Carlow County Childcare Committee |
4,100 |
|
Mayo County Childcare Committee |
270 |
|
Wicklow County Childcare Committee |
4,560 |
|
Louth County Childcare committee |
0 |
|
Wexford County Childcare Committee |
2,820 |
|
Offaly County Childcare Committee |
2,940 |
|
Laois County Childcare Committee |
3,060 |
|
South Dublin Childcare Committee |
17,610 |
|
Dun Laoghaire Rathdown CC |
39,360 |
|
Kildare County Childcare Committee |
16,875 |
|
Cork City Childcare Committee |
0 |
|
Kilkenny County Childcare Committee |
2,430 |
|
Cork County Childcare Committee |
7,530 |
|
Clare County Childcare Committee |
1,320 |
|
Dublin City Childcare Committee |
25,680 |
|
Kerry County Childcare Committee |
6,900 |
|
Leitrim County Childcare Committee |
2,820 |
|
Westmeath County Childcare Committee |
4,800 |
|
Monaghan County Childcare Committee |
4,230 |
|
Roscommon County Childcare Committee |
1,100 |
|
Waterford Childcare Committee |
1,020 |
|
Limerick County Childcare Committee |
6,750 |
|
Tipperary Childcare Committee Limited |
5,760 |
Table B
|
County |
2016/17 Payment |
|
Galway City and County Childcare |
49,725 |
|
Donegal County Childcare Committee |
9,900 |
|
Meath County Childcare Committee |
35,798 |
|
Cavan County Childcare Committee |
8,500 |
|
Fingal County Childcare Committee |
56,340 |
|
Sligo County Childcare Committee |
7,560 |
|
Longford County Childcare Committee |
5,790 |
|
Carlow County Childcare Committee |
8,850 |
|
Mayo County Childcare Committee |
8,010 |
|
Wicklow County Childcare Committee |
27,480 |
|
Louth County Childcare committee |
29,835 |
|
Wexford County Childcare Committee |
12,375 |
|
Offaly County Childcare Committee |
9,000 |
|
Laois County Childcare Committee |
25,425 |
|
South Dublin Childcare Committee |
64,080 |
|
Dun Laoghaire Rathdown CC |
21,870 |
|
Kildare County Childcare Committee |
44,468 |
|
Cork City Childcare Committee |
11,790 |
|
Kilkenny County Childcare Committee |
16,065 |
|
Cork County Childcare Committee |
34,875 |
|
Clare County Childcare Committee |
18,608 |
|
Dublin City Childcare Committee |
81,180 |
|
Kerry County Childcare Committee |
16,950 |
|
Leitrim County Childcare Committee |
1,155 |
|
Westmeath County Childcare Committee |
18,938 |
|
Monaghan County Childcare Committee |
9,999 |
|
Roscommon County Childcare Committee |
7,000 |
|
Waterford Childcare Committee |
9,923 |
|
Limerick County Childcare Committee |
30,780 |
|
Tipperary Childcare Committee Limited |
13,590 |
Table C
|
County |
Paid 2017 |
|
Galway City and County Childcare Committee |
45,750.00 |
|
Donegal County Childcare Committee |
26,250.00 |
|
Meath County Childcare Committee |
31,500.00 |
|
Cavan County Childcare Committee |
9,000.00 |
|
Fingal County Childcare Committee |
30,750.00 |
|
Sligo County Childcare Committee |
11,250.00 |
|
Longford County Childcare Committee |
3,000.00 |
|
Carlow County Childcare Committee |
20,250.00 |
|
Mayo County Childcare Committee |
21,000.00 |
|
Wicklow County Childcare Committee |
39,000.00 |
|
Louth County Childcare committee |
12,750.00 |
|
Wexford County Childcare Committee |
21,750.00 |
|
Offaly County Childcare Committee |
6,000.00 |
|
Laois County Childcare Committee |
21,000.00 |
|
South Dublin Childcare Committee |
30,000.00 |
|
Dun Laoghaire Rathdown Childcare Committee |
28,500.00 |
|
Kildare County Childcare Committee |
45,000.00 |
|
Cork City Childcare Committee |
10,500.00 |
|
Kilkenny County Childcare Committee |
16,500.00 |
|
Cork County Childcare Committee |
42,750.00 |
|
Clare County Childcare Committee |
14,250.00 |
|
Dublin City Childcare Committee |
50,250.00 |
|
Kerry County Childcare Committee |
9,750.00 |
|
Leitrim County Childcare Committee |
3,000.00 |
|
Westmeath County Childcare Committee |
11,250.00 |
|
Monaghan County Childcare Committee |
20,250.00 |
|
Roscommon County Childcare Committee |
12,750.00 |
|
Waterford Childcare Committee |
14,250.00 |
|
Limerick County Childcare Committee |
12,750.00 |
|
Tipperary Childcare Committee Limited |
20,250.00 |
