Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 2 June 2022
7. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will provide data on the number of early learning and care and school-age children providers that have closed down in each of the past five years and to date in 2022, in tabular form; if the level of closures has increased and if so, the steps he intends to address this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28456/22]
View answerWill the Minister provide data on the number of providers of early learning and care to school-age children that have closed down in each of the past five years and to date in 2022? Will he also indicate whether the levels of closures have increased and, if so, what steps he intends to take to address this and make a statement on the matter?
Every year it is normal for some early learning and care to school-age childcare services to close, while other new services open. Services close for a wide variety of reasons, including retirement of owners or other personal circumstances. Tusla is the independent statutory regulator for the sector. Services intending to close must notify Tusla within 28 days of closure.
The numbers of reported closures for the period 2017 to 2021 and to date in 2022 are as follows. The numbers of closures in 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 and to the end of April 2022 were 117, 138, 196, 197, 141 and 32, respectively. Across that same period, 449 new services opened.
On school-age childcare, the data are not available prior to 2020 as there was not a registration requirement. The numbers of closures in 2020, 2021 and to the end of April 2022 were 13, 23 and eight, respectively. From 2020 to the end of April 2022, 1,544 school age services were registered. I reiterate that as 2021 was the first year in which they had to register, that requirement obviously drove that significant spike.
As I mentioned earlier in reply to these questions, my Department is leading an ambitious programme of reforms in the ELC and SAC sector. This reform agenda is underpinned by a significant increase in investment with the additional €78 million I secured in budget 2022 bringing investment in the sector to a record €716 million.
We will continue to build on this in budget 2023 and into the future. As I have indicated before, in this year's budget my focus is on reducing the cost for parents by increased investment in the national childcare scheme, which is the direct subsidy each parent receives and reduces the amount parents must pay their provider.
I thank the Minister for his reply. I am pleased to see that his priority is to ensure improved quality, affordability and sustainability of early learning and care regarding school-age childcare services. I am also aware of the announcement of the crucial and much-needed support to help parents with the cost of early learning and child care both immediately and as part of a longer process of transformation of the sector. While I welcome his response, I have concerns.
The Minister stated that 449 new services have opened, yet an awful lot have closed. He spoke of retirement from the sector but what is the Department's strategy to address this? It needs to be examined. We need specific measures to help parents. I have spoken to parents in recent weeks. There are significant concerns about this matter.
The Deputy is absolutely right to put the focus on that issue. I set out three major areas. Core funding will be particularly important for services that are more expensive, such as baby rooms that cater for children under 12 months where the ratio, by its nature, must be higher. In the context of core funding, there is additional financial support recognising the higher cost of delivery. That will make the opening of new baby rooms more attractive to providers. Second, there is a capital investment scheme. We will announce the first part of that later this year for take-up in 2023. The first part of the scheme will focus on the expansion and renovation of existing centres and the second will focus on capital support for the building of new early learning centres. The third aspect involves looking at the planning system and ensuring that the guidelines for the delivery of early learning care are better aligned with the planning of new housing developments. I have already met a significant number of county planners to discuss that matter.
All of us have been working with parents and childcare professionals. These people are doing their best. It is important that we listen to all stakeholders and ensure that there is affordable childcare for parents and people who need it and that the sector is viable for childcare providers to remain open. I know how committed the Minister is to working on this. There is a great deal of funding coming on stream but I am concerned that the parents see this and that the childcare professionals in crèches or early childcare facilities also benefit. We need to ensure that it is win-win for everyone and that we have a system that is fit for purpose. Ireland is lucky in its childcare professionals. It is important that no one is in a position where they cannot send their child to a place or that one has to close.
The Deputy is absolutely right about the need to listen and engage and I do. I have met organisations and we have an early years forum with which all sectors are engaged. They have a very close relationship with the officials in my Department. We worked very closely during the Covid crisis and met almost daily at some points. That supported the sector to do such a magnificent job, particularly during the worst parts of the crisis.
On the need to reform, we have brought forward the expert group on the funding model report and we are implementing the core funding part now. We have brought forward the review of the working model and support for the workforce planning, nurturing skills. We are implementing that. I attended a very positive event two weeks ago relating to the creation of a new professional body for early years educators. A lot is happening in the sector. It is happening with the Government working in conjunction with providers and employer representatives and looking to support parents and to do more for them in this year's budget.
I am skipping some questions as the relevant Deputies are not here.
