Paul Murphy
Question:126. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth his plans to increase childcare places; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9519/24]
View answerThursday, 29 February 2024
Questions (126)
Written answers
There has been a number of steps taken by my Department to increase childcare places:
Some €69 million has been allocated over the period 2023-2025 to the early learning and childcare sector under the revised National Development Plan (NDP). This will enable significant capital investment across three pillars:
• Building Blocks - Improvement Grant;
• Building Blocks - Capacity Grant; and
• Building Blocks - Innovation Grant
Last week, I was pleased to announce an €18 million capital grant scheme for the Early Learning and Childcare Sector. The Building Blocks Capacity Expansion Grant Scheme is part of the wider Building Blocks Capacity Grant Scheme for Early Learning and Childcare under the revised National Development Plan 2021-2030 (NDP).
The Expansion Grant Scheme will provide for an immediate increase in affordable Early Learning and Childcare places in 2024, and will be specifically targeted in areas in where they are needed most. It will be the first of two significant capital investment schemes, to be delivered in 2024 and 2025.
The Expansion Grant Scheme will be open to Core Funding partner services. These services may apply for capital grants to expand their capacity by means of internal renovations and reconfigurations. The primary focus of the Expansion Grant Scheme is to increase capacity in the 1-3 year old (pre ECCE) age range for full day or part-time care.
Core Funding, one of the newer flagship schemes in place since September 2022 as part of the new funding Model Together for Better, is allocated based on the service’s capacity, with services operating with longer opening hours and offering more places receiving more funding.
Core Funding aims to increase capacity in the sector, while also ensuring that services have a more sustainable and stable funding model. In year 2, I have secured an additional €28million in funding, €8.47m is allocated towards funding the natural growth of the sector. This additional funding will support an increase in more Partner Services; and also more staff working in the sector, more rooms and places, and more graduate lead educators and managers.
By providing additional funding for capacity in this way, year 2 of Core Funding will help Partner Services expand their businesses, which will lead to greater accessibility for parents and greater sustainability for services. Tusla data shows that Early Learning and Care closures fell to a 5 year low following the introduction of Core Funding, while the overall number of Early Learning and Care and standalone School-Aged Childcare services is now increasing.
In year 2, the programme call resulted in 4275 Partner Services enrolled in Core Funding, and in year 2 this increased by 2.7% to 4390 Partner Services.
I also secured funding in Budget 2024 to open up the National Childcare Scheme to parents who use childminders from September, in line with the commitment in the National Action Plan for Childminding.