Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 7 November 2023
36. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to outline the measures in budget 2024 to support childcare facilities and crèches; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48539/23]
View answerIn Budget 2024, I secured a total of €1.109bn in funding for early learning and childcare, representing an 8% increase on this year's funding.
The funding in 2024 provides for:
• Investment in the National Childcare Scheme, including a further 25% average reduction to parent’s costs and expansion of NCS to childminders, benefitting more than 150,000 children.
• Additional funding for approximately 7,000 children with a disability through investment in the Access and Inclusion Model supports.
• The introduction of a new Equal Participation Model to support children and families experiencing disadvantage in accessing childcare services;
• Increased funding for services, through Core Funding, to support improved affordability and accessibility for families, improved pay and conditions for the workforce and improved sustainability for providers. Core Funding will see a 15% increase or extra €44m for the scheme in its the third year. Of this additional funding:
• €9.27m will support a 3% increase in capacity;
• The allocation for administration will increase by €3.21m; and
• The allocation for non-staff overheads will increase by €10.07m to ensure the Scheme continues to keep pace with cost pressures facing services.
• The remaining €21.49m will be used for other developments, to be informed by the emerging data from Year 2 of the scheme as well as the Financial Returns.
The 2024 allocation is a clear demonstration of the value Government continues to place on early learning and childcare, given the benefits it confers to children and their families, society and the economy.
