Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 30 September 2021
288. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if his attention has been drawn to a demand for more childcare places outside of ECCE hours; the steps he is taking to address demand; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47247/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department closely monitors developments in relation to early learning and childcare capacity. Data is routinely collected from a variety of sources for this purpose. Local Authority level data is captured annually through the Early Years Sector Profile, administered by Pobal on behalf of the Department. Owing to COVID, capacity data is not available for 2020. Before the onset of Covid-19, national data indicated that, on the whole, supply was meeting demand, with evidence of undersupply for certain age groups, and in certain areas.
Ensuring that supply is sufficient to meet demand is a policy priority.
A 141% increase in investment over the last number of years has led to a doubling in the number of children receiving free or subsidised early learning and care and school-age childcare. It has also supported the sector to increase the number of places available - by 27,433 places nationally since 2015. New data on capacity was collected in May and June 2021, and is expected to be available in the latter part of the year. This will allow the Department to update our data on capacity at a Local Authority level, which will inform future planning and funding priorities. My Department has also committed to strengthen capacity to accurately forecast supply and demand, by including undertaking a regular national needs assessment. In addition, officials in my Department are planning research on the ELC/SAC needs of parents who work atypical hours or live in rural communities..
First 5: A ten-year whole-of-Government strategy for babies, young children and their families; pledges to build on this progress. Among key strategic actions in First 5 is a commitment to 'maintain and extend the supply of high-quality publicly subsidised ELC and SAC to best serve the developmental needs of babies and young children, ensuring that it also reflects the needs and preferences of parents and families'.
To deliver on this strategic action, a range of actions are under way, including an update of the National Planning Guidelines for the development of early learning and care and school-age childcare settings, the extension of regulation to all paid, non-relative childminders on a phased basis, the development of a strategic capital investment plan to deliver large-scale capital investment under Project 2040 and the development of a new funding model for ELC and SAC.
