Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 13 May 2020
1090. Deputy Anne Rabbitte asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her views on whether it is fair for early years services that sign a contract with her Department for the provision of childcare schemes to sign these contracts in advance of receiving a copy of the programme and funding rules for the programme year. [3985/20]
View answerMy Department does not require early learning and care providers to sign contracts for the various childcare programmes in advance of receiving a copy of the programme and funding rules.
In order for service providers to be eligible to receive subsidies in respect of childcare funding programmes, it is a condition that they enter into a funding agreement with my Department prior to the commencement of the programme year in August. This is in accordance with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform Circular 13/2014 entitled Management of and Accountability for Grants from Exchequer Funds.
For the last three programme years, the rules for the childcare funding programmes have been released prior to the commencement of the programme year. Service providers have the option to sign the funding agreement any time before the commencement of the programme year. The following table shows that the rules document was published with sufficient time for service providers to familiarise themselves with its contents.
|
Programme year |
Publication date of Rules |
Commencement date of programme |
|
2017/18 |
July 24th 2017 |
August 22nd 2017 |
|
2018/19 |
August 9th 2018 |
August 20th 2018 |
|
2019/20 |
June 10th 2019 |
August 19th 2019 |
The process of signing contracts is completed online via the Programmes Implementation Platform.
