Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 8 February 2022
492. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if his attention has been drawn to the fact that some childcare providers were forced to close for two additional weeks in 2022 due to staffing shortages and rising costs, and yet parents must still pay the full fee even though they have no childcare for this period; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6606/22]
View answerMy Department contracts with early learning and childcare (ELC) services to provide ELC and provides a range of subsidy schemes which partly or totally cover the cost of the ELC provided to families. These schemes include ECCE, the free pre-school scheme and the NCS and CCSP which provide partial or full subsidies to family for ELC fees. Currently over 60% of funding for ELC is provided by my Department.
ELC services are provided by for private enterprises, either privately owned or operated by community organisations. ELC services are free to set their own policies. The current contracts between the Department and providers do not deal with the issue of services charging fees during periods when the services are closed. This is a contractual matter between parents and providers.
My Department continues to provide significant financial supports to early learning and care (ELC) and school aged childcare (SAC) services throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. Currently, in the case of pod closures or full service closures due to Covid-19, my Department continues to pay the full subsidies for those children registered in one of my Departments’ childcare funding programmes.
The Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme (EWSS), will remain available to the sector until April 2022, with a continued exemption to the turnover rule for employers in the sector. Since August 2020, ELC employers have been entitled to access the EWSS, with an exemption to having to demonstrate the 30% drop in turnover that applies to other sectors. The EWSS covers approximately 80% of staff costs or 50% of total operating costs.
I would encourage parents who are experiencing difficulties with any aspect of service provision to contact their local City or County Childcare Committee (CCC) for assistance. Contact details for all of the CCCs are available at www.myccc.ie.
