Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 24 October 2023
464. Deputy Alan Farrell asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth how the smaller early education providers will benefit from the CORE funding announced in Budget 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46113/23]
View answerBudget 2024 continues to improve investment for early learning and childcare with funding increasing by 8% or €83 million in 2024, to €1.109 billion.
€303.31m has been allocated for Core Funding in 2024, a 14% increase on the 2023 investment in the scheme. This substantial increase on the 2023 allocation will support continued implementation of the scheme for the second programme year, September 2023 to August 2024 and into the third programme year from September 2024, with additional funding of €14.65m being made available from September 2024.
The additional funding from September 2024 translates into a full year allocation of €331m for year 3 of Core Funding, an increase of €44m, or 15%, on the current allocation of €287m and will delivery a range of enhancements in Year 3 of the scheme to support improved affordability and accessibility for families, improved pay and conditions for the workforce and improved sustainability for providers.
I introduced a number of targeted supports for small and sessional services in Year 2 of the scheme in order to improve sustainability of these services, specifically a flat rate top up of €4,075 for sessional-only services and a minimum base rate allocation of €8,150. These measures saw the average allocation under Core Funding for sessional-only service increase by 32% this year.
In a continued commitment to supporting these services, these measures will continue to apply in the 2024/2025 programme year.
Core Funding operates in addition to the ECCE Programme and the NCS. Between ECCE capitation and Core Funding, there is currently a minimum of €79.20 per ECCE child per week, before additional graduate premium of €4.44 per hour and the flat rate of €4,075 per year for sessional services are added, as applicable. The developments in 2024 will see this minimum income increase further.
In addition, €21.49m will be used for developments to Core Funding in year 3 of the Scheme, to be informed by the emerging data from Year 2 of the scheme as well as the Financial Returns.
Sustainability supports will continue to be available in 2024, and can be accessed through local City and County Childcare Committees (CCC).
