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Childcare Services

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 3 December 2020

Thursday, 3 December 2020

Questions (103)

Brendan Smith

Question:

103. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the capital funding provided in 2020 towards the provision of new and upgraded childcare accommodation; the level of funding that will be provided in 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40770/20]

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Written answers

My Department has, since 2015, administered an annual capital funding programme, under which early learning and care and school-age childcare services providers are invited to apply for capital funding to increase capacity and to maintain and improve their services.

The 2020 Capital programme was launched on 26 February with a budget of €7.2million allocated across three strands: the creation of new places for 0-3 year olds; works required for regulatory compliance for community services and the creation of new school age places.

However, as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, it was necessary to suspend the 2020 Capital programme on 26 March.

In June 2020 as part of a funding package to facilitate the reopening of early learning and care services, an additional €7million was allocated to early learning and care Capital funding, resulting in a total budget of €14.2 million.

The €14.2 million capital fund was allocated to providers to support them to reopen over the summer months and to meet the reopening guidance in line with Public Health advice.

With regard to capital funding for 2021, the available budget for allocation to early learning and care service is €8.3million.

Whilst in recent years an objective of the funding has often been to extend capacity, I am responding to a different need for 2021.

COVID has reduced demand for some early learning and childcare services, and although this will hopefully be reversed soon, there is no evidence at this time of a need to increase capacity. Also, the rapid expansion we required in recent years, for example, to almost double ECCE places to accommodate a second year, has been delivered.

Given my absolute priority to keep children safe, I have decided that first call on the 2021 funding will be given to ensuring fire safety in early learning and childcare services around the country.

Tulsa, the independent regulator of the sector, requires that providers submit a fire safety certificate as part of the statutory registration process. Many services have already re-registered and submitted a fire safety certificate and some have re-registered subject to submitting an up to date Fire Safety Certificate in 2021. Some services may need to carry out remedial works to receive a Fire Safety Certificate, but the costs for this can be prohibitive, especially in the current extenuating circumstances of COVID.

As such, my Department will offer a Fire Safety Capital Grant through Pobal in early 2021 to contribute towards the costs of required remedial works. Further details will be made available in the coming days.

If any of the €8.3million available is not required for this purpose, my Department will distribute the balance by way of a second round of grants, which will focus on outdoor play. Further detail on this will be announced in early April 2021.

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