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Early Childhood Care and Education Data

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 24 October 2019

Thursday, 24 October 2019

Ceisteanna (274)

Anne Rabbitte

Ceist:

274. Deputy Anne Rabbitte asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the estimated cost of increasing the number of weeks available under the ECCE scheme by one, two, three, four, five, six and seven weeks. [43953/19]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

€297m has been allocated to the Early Childhood Care and Education programme in 2020.

ECCE is currently available for 38 weeks throughout the year. The following table outlines the cost of expanding the scheme as per the specified weekly increments:  

ECCE Capitation Costs

Proposed change

Annual Cost (€m)

Increase (€m)

No change

€297.0

 

1 week increase

€304.8

€7.8

2 week increase

€312.6

€15.6

3 week increase

€320.5

€23.5

4 week increase

€328.3

€31.3

5 week increase

€336.1

€39.1

6 week increase

€343.9

€46.9

7 week increase

€351.7

€54.7

The Access and Inclusion Model (AIM) is offered to children with disabilities who wish to participate in ECCE. AIM. Subsequently, any increase in duration of the ECCE programme will also have an impact on AIM expenditure.

Initial estimates indicate that, in 2020, AIM level 7 will cost circa €26m and AIM level 1 will cost circa €5.4m. The two levels combined are therefore forecast to cost €31.4m. The following table captures the projected impact of the outlined ECCE increases on the allocation for AIM Levels 1 & 7 in 2020.

Associated AIM costs

Proposed change

Annual Cost (€m)

Increase (€m)

No change

€31.4

 

1 week increase

€32.2

€0.8

2 week increase

€33.1

€1.7

3 week increase

€33.9

€2.5

4 week increase

€34.7

€3.3

5 week increase

€35.5

€4.1

6 week increase

€36.4

€5.0

7 week increase

€37.2

€5.8

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