Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 1 March 2022
548. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if his Department can offer assistance to a person (details supplied) for whom a planned school expansion has precipitated the end of a lease for a vital childcare service accommodating over 100 children. [11351/22]
View answerMy Department oversees a Case Management process through which local City and County Childcare Committees (CCCs) and Pobal work together to assess and provide support to early learning and care services experiencing difficulties. This can include help with completing and interpreting analysis of staff ratios and cash flow, as well as more specialised advice and support appropriate to individual circumstances, such as in this case. The CCCs and Pobal have previously engaged with services that were losing access to their current premises, to help them identify alternatives.
Pobal co-ordinate the overall case management process with the CCC administering initial, and on-going, case management assistance. The CCC, where appropriate, will proceed to make a formal notification to Pobal who will provide more consolidated support while verifying the service’s necessity for a financial intervention. All services who require support should contact their local CCC in the first instance.
I understand that the relevant CCC has been providing support in the case in question.
