Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 20 September 2018
3. Deputy Anne Rabbitte asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if her attention has been drawn to the considerable shortages within the ECCE system; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38164/18]
View answerI welcome the Minister's comments. My question asks the Minister if she is aware of the considerable shortages within the ECCE system; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
I understand the Deputy's question refers to capacity under the ECCE scheme, the fact that service providers may prioritise full-time children over ECCE scheme-only children and that service providers do not always guarantee a childcare place in the second year of the ECCE scheme. From September this year, the annual number of ECCE enrolments will be approximately 114,000. Given that more than 118,000 places were filled in the last programme year, no significant overall capacity issues are anticipated for those expected to register for the ECCE scheme from September 2018. This is endorsed by preliminary data to be published before the end of the year from the annual Pobal sector profile related to ECCE places. My Department will continue to monitor the position as registrations are received for the 2018-19 programme year. Notwithstanding this, I recognise that there can be pressure in some localities. I urge anyone experiencing difficulty in securing an ECCE place to contact his or her local city or county childcare committee for assistance. From September 2018, the ECCE programme reverted to one single entry point only, with eligible children entitled to two full years of ECCE provision for the first time, fulfilling a commitment made in the programme for Government.
I believe we have sufficient places to deliver on this important improvement.
On the general capacity in the system, my Department provided a total of €4.61 million in capital funding in 2018 specifically for the creation of new childcare places. This represents the creation of some 1,950 additional early years childcare places of which 1,253 are for ECCE. If a gap in capacity is objectively identified, we can consider a range of measures to address those in collaboration with local childcare committees.
Replies to recent parliamentary questions revealed a serious shortage of ECCE places, particularly in the commuter belt of County Meath and in Cork. There seems to be a shortage of 1,050 places in Meath and 2,460 places in Cork. I am glad the Minister acknowledged that settings offering full day childcare will be prioritised because the issue needs to be addressed. Recently, I was contacted by a parent who was informed she could only enrol her child in an ECCE scheme if she signed up for a supplementary one hour and 15 minutes of care per day, at an additional cost of approximately €100 per week. Parents facing this choice believe their options are being limited. I acknowledge, however, that the Minister addressed this issue.
When parents sign up to the scheme, would it be possible to guarantee a place for the second year, rather than having them sign up for only one year? Is there a way to write into the script, as it were, a requirement on childcare providers to offer an ECCE place for two years?
I wish we could to that. What we can do is call for it and encourage childcare providers, who generally do an excellent job in providing quality childcare places across the country, to do so. Decisions on prioritising full day places and guaranteeing places for a second ECCE year are primarily matters for the service providers who are free to set their policies in these areas. The Department actively seeks to ensure there is sufficient capacity available to allow service providers the latitude to accommodate all children. We are in constant contact with the providers, not only through the county and city childcare committees but also directly in the different ways we gather the stakeholders together. The Deputy raises important points. We have allocated and invested capital and we are in consultation with providers. The Deputy cited some statistics and if she identifies further gaps, I ask that she bring them to our attention. The Department, working with county and city childcare providers, wants to ensure there are no gaps at local level and we will do what is necessary to fill them when they arise.
We are in the pre-budget period and I am sure the Minister will not tell me what her capital funding plans are today. Some childcare providers are fully subscribed and there is a capacity issue coming down the tracks in the ECCE scheme. The Minister successfully allocated capital funding in recent years. Is this funding sufficient? Could more capital funding be found to address capacity, which is a serious concern? I raised previously with the Minister the problem faced by a crèche in Mountbellew, which offers full-time childcare and required another room. I have encountered similar cases in Clarinbridge and other parts of my constituency, but the problem is not unique to Galway East. Full-time childcare providers face capacity issues and would like to be able to access funding to expand. Is the Minister considering increasing capital expenditure in next year's budget to fund the expansion of childcare facilities?
We are making plans for capital investment in 2019. While the amount of funding is important, of equal importance is what we do with that money and the way in which we target it to best meet identified needs. Pobal and the Department are engaged in ongoing research and monitoring. The Deputy and other Deputies also do great work in letting us know where gaps exist and where there is local need, so that we can match what we have to invest with those needs. We are on target to identify the plans for 2019 and we have some idea of figures.
I remind the Deputy that childcare was identified as a strategic priority in the national development plan, NDP. I have negotiated €215 million to be provided for additional capital investment over the lifetime of the plan, particularly in its mid to later years. The NDP provides us with an opportunity to increase the scale of our investment.
