Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 21 June 2022
624. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number and percentage of ECCE services that have signed up to the transition fund; if this information is available by county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31916/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Transition Fund is intended to provide financial support to Early Learning and Care (ELC) and School Age Childcare (SAC) providers in the period of time between the end of the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme in April and the introduction of the new Core Funding from September.
The Transition Fund will make a payment to providers between 2nd May and 31st August 2022. The primary conditionality is that the service will not impose any increases to the Registered Fees List that was in place on 30th September 2021. This means that the full affordability effects of the NCS and ECCE programmes are felt by parents.
I am pleased that, as of 20th of June, 4,060 services have signed up to the Transition Fund, which represents 94% of eligible services. Of these, 3,638 or 90% are contracted to deliver the ECCE programme.
Please find below, a list of the ECCE contracted services signed up to Transition Funding broken down by county.
Carlow – 43
Cavan – 62
Clare – 115
Cork – 341
Donegal – 138
Dublin – 893
Galway – 233
Kerry – 118
Kildare – 162
Kilkenny – 83
Laois – 73
Leitrim – 28
Limerick – 157
Longford – 30
Louth – 101
Mayo – 111
Meath – 169
Monaghan – 57
Offaly – 54
Roscommon – 53
Sligo – 63
Tipperary – 151
Waterford – 82
Westmeath – 70
Wexford – 112
Wicklow - 139
A list of services participating in the Transition Fund is available here: first5fundingmodel.gov.ie/core-funding/.
I am encouraged that the high uptake of providers participating in the Transition Fund bodes well for the future of the sector as we move towards greater public investment and public management, and the introduction of Core Funding in September.
