Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 8 September 2022
1195. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the reason that drop-in crèche facilities are excluded from accessing the new core funding model; and if he will take action to address the exclusion of this service [41945/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraAffordable, accessible, high-quality and sustainable early learning and childcare is a key priority for Government. In December 2021, Government adopted the 25 recommendations contained in an Expert Group report, Partnership for the Public Good: A New Funding Model for Early Learning and Care (ELC) and School-Age Childcare (SAC). This new funding model will support delivery of ELC and SAC for the public good, for quality and affordability for children, parents and families. To achieve this, there is a need for greater State investment and greater public management of provision.
Core Funding, which begins in September, is the new funding stream worth €221 million in full year costs to start this partnership for the public good between the State and providers. Its primary purpose is to improve quality in the sector, including through better pay and conditions for the workforce, and to improve affordability and accessibility for parents as well as ensuring a stable income to providers.
Core Funding is allocated to services based on the hours that the service is open and available to children. Core Funding is therefore related to the costs of delivery as this has been determined to be a fair and reasonable way to allocate the funding.
Drop-in services provide a useful service to parents on an occasional basis, but it is a very specific category of care which is not compatible with Core Funding. A drop-in service is one that offers care on a casual, ‘drop in’ basis – that is, the children only attend the service from time to time, for not more than 2 hours at a time.
These characteristics – intermittent, short attendance, without consistency of care – mean that a drop-in service is not compatible with the key aims of Core Funding to improve the quality of experience and outcomes for children and accessibility and affordability for families.
I hope this information is of assistance.
