Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 29 March 2022
502. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth further to Parliamentary Question No. 577 of 22 February 2022, when Pobal will publish data into establishing if unused capacity varies by type of provision or location, to establish if there is a mismatch in supply and demand, for certain cohorts of children or in certain areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15966/22]
View answerAs part of ongoing efforts by my Department to monitor early learning and childcare (ELC) capacity, Pobal, using the data captured as part of the Annual Early Years Sector Profile survey in June 2021 and current registration data, recently projected national vacancy rates in February 2022. These projections revealed an estimated fall in national vacancy rates from June 2021 to February 2022 – with vacancy rates projected to have fallen from 21% to 19%.
Pobal was asked to examine these projections further, specifically to establish if unused capacity varied by type of provision or location. Pobal has advised however that reliable projections by type of provision or location – would not be possible with the data currently available.
However, capacity - by type of provision and location - is currently being captured by the City/County Childcare Committees and will be available in the coming weeks. These data are being gathered as part of the Action Plan developed by my Department to respond to the early learning and childcare needs of Ukrainian children and their families.
Moreover, fieldwork for the next Annual Early Years Sector Profile Survey will commence in April 2022, which will allow for more detailed information on capacity among early learning and childcare services to be gathered.
