Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 21 September 2021
423. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth his views on the UNICEF recommendation for 1% of GDP to be invested in childcare; if it is his plan for Ireland to reach this benchmark; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44664/21]
View answer424. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if his attention has been drawn to the fact that Ireland is one of the lowest spenders on childcare in the EU; the steps he is taking to address same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44665/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 423 and 424 together.
Over the past six budgets, investment in Early Learning and Care (ELC) and School Age Childcare (SAC) has increased by 141% - rising from €260 million in 2015, to €638 million in 2021. This excludes substantial funding provided to support the sector during COVID-19.
Despite this progress, investment in the area remains low by international standards.
The First 5 Strategy, commits the Government to at least double public spending in early learning and care and school-age childcare by 2028. A key vehicle to ensure that such significant additional investment delivers optimally for children, families and the State will be the new Funding Model. An Expert Group to develop the new Funding Model was appointed in September 2019, and I expect their report to be finalised in November and look forward to receiving that shortly.
Extensive research has been commissioned to inform the work of the Group and has been published. Frontier Economics, the Research Partner, have produced eight working papers identifying international practice and learning to inform the new funding model.
The full implementation of the Expert Group's recommendations is likely to be a multi-annual process, with funding becoming available on an incremental basis. In the short term, the Group’s recommendations are contributing to informing the Budget 2022 process and my officials are engaged in that process.
Further information on the work of the Expert Group and documentation related to the process is available at www.first5fundingmodel.ie.
