The estimated number of children expected to enrol on the ECCE Programme for 2019/20 is 108,518. The estimates outlined below are derived using a number of data sources, including population data provided by the CSO and data on school starting age from the Pupil Online Database held by the Department of Education and Skills. This also reflects consistent trends in uptake of the ECCE Programme, which is in the region of 95% of the eligible cohort. It excludes children within the eligible cohort who may choose to enrol on other DCYA funded programmes.
Drawing on previous analysis from the Forward Planning Unit in the Department of Education and Skills on the estimated number of children in each Local Authority that are within the eligible age range for the ECCE programme, the estimated number of children enrolling in ECCE for the 2019/20 programme year in each Local Authority is set out in the following table.
County
|
No.
|
Carlow
|
1,323
|
Dublin City
|
10,973
|
Dún Laoghaire - Rathdown
|
4,316
|
Fingal
|
8,570
|
South Dublin
|
7,297
|
Kildare
|
5,531
|
Kilkenny
|
2,272
|
Laois
|
2,061
|
Longford
|
980
|
Louth
|
3,043
|
Meath
|
5,046
|
Offaly
|
1,811
|
West Meath
|
2,124
|
Wexford
|
3,373
|
Wicklow
|
3,257
|
Clare
|
2,544
|
Cork City
|
2,181
|
Cork County
|
10,146
|
Kerry
|
2,889
|
Limerick
|
4,338
|
Tipperary
|
3,438
|
Waterford
|
2,536
|
Galway
|
5,900
|
Leitrim
|
711
|
Mayo
|
2,647
|
Roscommon
|
1,332
|
Sligo
|
1,428
|
Cavan
|
1,744
|
Donegal
|
3,319
|
Monaghan
|
1,388
|
Total
|
108,518
|
In addition, my Department funds 30 City and County Childcare Committees across the country. Part of their role is to advise my Department on capacity issues. I would encourage anyone having difficulty in securing a place to make contact with their local CCC. Contact details for all of the CCCs, in addition to other information about the services they provide, may be found on www.myccc.ie
As regards capacity issues more generally, each year Pobal conducts research on behalf of my Department to examine a number of factors related to childcare services in Ireland, including the monitoring of capacity. The Early Years Sector Profile report, which was published in November and relates to the 2017/2018 programme year, indicates that existing childcare provision nationally meets current needs nationwide in terms of capacity whilst recognising that small pockets of under supply may exist within this.
My Department records the breakdown of childcare waiting lists by age cohort rather than by programme. In 2017/18, services reported a total of 173,197 children enrolled in early years services and 9,420 vacant places across Ireland. The following table presents the number of children enrolled and on a waiting list that are approximately within the ECCE eligible age range, as well as the number of vacant places by age cohort. Pre-school children (those aged 3+ to 5 years) represent the largest cohort of children attending childcare services, accounting for 59% of all children enrolled. Data on waiting lists cannot by itself be used to inform capacity decisions as parents often place their children on more than one waiting list.
County
|
Enrolled
|
Waiting list
|
Vacant places
|
Carlow
|
2,057
|
260
|
68
|
Cavan
|
3,120
|
249
|
104
|
Clare
|
4,280
|
192
|
383
|
Cork City
|
4,246
|
510
|
295
|
Cork County
|
14,662
|
869
|
1,032
|
Donegal
|
6,575
|
477
|
882
|
Dublin – Dublin City
|
16,075
|
3,492
|
581
|
Dublin – Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown
|
6,357
|
880
|
224
|
Dublin – Fingal
|
11,149
|
1,076
|
450
|
Dublin – South Dublin
|
9,294
|
639
|
373
|
Galway
|
10,514
|
571
|
620
|
Kerry
|
5,625
|
269
|
186
|
Kildare
|
8,045
|
350
|
304
|
Kilkenny
|
3,944
|
414
|
195
|
Laois
|
3,695
|
43
|
298
|
Leitrim
|
1,437
|
63
|
74
|
Limerick
|
7,805
|
865
|
278
|
Longford
|
1,685
|
168
|
59
|
Louth
|
4,297
|
238
|
197
|
Mayo
|
4,509
|
421
|
331
|
Meath
|
6,996
|
396
|
355
|
Monaghan
|
3,623
|
147
|
190
|
Offaly
|
2,697
|
123
|
225
|
Roscommon
|
2,311
|
172
|
98
|
Sligo
|
3,144
|
185
|
88
|
Tipperary
|
6,662
|
372
|
437
|
Waterford
|
4,612
|
274
|
203
|
Westmeath
|
3,781
|
316
|
385
|
Wexford
|
5,724
|
296
|
281
|
Wicklow
|
4,276
|
231
|
224
|
Total
|
173,197
|
14,558
|
9,420
|