Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 16 February 2022
171. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the steps that are being taken to ensure that all community after-school services will continue to deliver the vital services in their localities as the national childcare service model and its funding plan is implemented. [8693/22]
View answerMy Department does not provide early learning and care or afterschool services. Services are required to register with Tulsa and can then apply for funding under various funding schemes administered by my Department. The National Childcare Scheme, or NCS, provides financial support for many parents to help with childcare costs.
The NCS provides universal and income-assessed subsidies to parents.
The NCS is designed to be highly inclusive and to meet the needs of those families who need it the most. The NCS is based on the principle of progressive universalism and has regard to the best interests of children.
Currently a universal subsidy of 50cents per hour is available for children up to three, for up to 45 hours per week and an income-assessed subsidy is available for children of all ages for up to 45 hours per week, the level of which is determined by the family’s income.
Following Budget 2022, two significant reforms will be introduced to the operation of the National Childcare Scheme (NCS) in the coming months. It is intended that these reforms will make it possible for significantly more families to benefit from the NCS.
The first change is the discontinuation of the practice of deducting hours spent in ECCE or school from the entitlement to NCS subsidised hours from Spring 2022. With this change, parents will be able to avail of all NCS subsidised hours regardless of time spent in school or ECCE. This will be of particular benefit in reducing the cost of after-school services to parents, which will in turn support the sustainability of community after-school services.
The second reform relates to the universal subsidy. This will be made available to all families with children up to the age of 15 from September 2022. Parents do not have to undergo an assessment to avail of this subsidy. The universal subsidy provides €0.50 cent per hour towards the cost of a registered place up to a maximum of 45 hours a week, which totals €1,170 per annum.
Furthermore, from September 2022, a major new Core Funding stream will be introduced. Under Core Funding providers will be supported in meeting their operating costs, including increased costs related to improved quality measures, in return for a commitment that fees to parents will not increase. The commitment not to increase fees will ensure that the full affordability benefits of the ECCE programme and the NCS are felt by parents.
€69 million is being made available for Core Funding next year, equivalent to €207 million in a full year. This is an estimated increase of 16% in the total annual income to the sector.
In advance of the introduction of Core Funding, a Transition Fund will be available to providers, also contingent on an agreement not to increase fees from September 2021 levels. This fund will operate between May and August 2022 between the end of the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme (April 2022) and the introduction of Core Funding (September 2022).
This package marks the beginning of an important and transformative multi-annual investment programme. It achieves significant progress on the commitment to increase spending on ELC and SAC and will deliver substantial improvements in affordability, quality, inclusion and sustainability.
