Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 5 October 2022
266. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth his plans to provide additional after-school child places in the Dublin 11 area, particularly in Finglas and Glasnevin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49094/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe availability of high-quality early learning and childcare is a key Government priority.
Since 2015, significant increases in State investment in early learning and childcare has given rise to a substantial growth in the numbers of children participating in these services.
Before the onset of Covid-19, national data indicated that, on the whole, supply of early learning and child (ELC) and school-age childcare (SAC) places was meeting demand, with evidence of undersupply for certain age groups and in certain areas.
Data gathered throughout the Covid-19 pandemic revealed lower demand for ELC and SAC, and reduced occupancy among ELC and SAC services.
My Department has continued to monitor capacity, with a particular focus on monitoring Covid-19 impacts as public health restrictions have been lifted and on responding to the unmet ELC and SAC needs of families. Data captured earlier this year parallels the pre-Covid-19 context, whereby the supply of ELC and SAC is meeting demand though there is evidence of undersupply for certain age groups and in certain areas.
The network of 30 CCC across the country, including Dublin City, are in a position to match children and families to services operating with vacant places. In addition, CCC have been mobilised to engage proactively with services to identify vacant places and to explore possibilities for expansion among services, particularly where there is unmet need.
In addition to this, a range of steps are being taken to address issues of under supply.
Some €70m has been allocated to my Department through the revised National Development Plan (NDP) – with the majority of this funding earmarked for new places.
Under the National Action Plan for Childminding, I have committed to opening up access to the NCS to parents who use childminders following the extension of regulation to childminders, which is expected to happen within the first 2-3 years of the Plan.
My Department, in partnership with the Department of Housing Planning and Local Government, is in the process of updating the 2001 Planning Guidelines for Local Authorities on Early Learning and Childcare Settings.
Finally, since the introduction of Core Funding, there has been a significant expansion of capacity. Initial analysis shows this increased capacity is the type of capacity that is in highest demand relative to supply (including SAC places) and in areas where there has been pressure on places, including all four Dublin local authority areas.
To meet the cost of this expanded capacity, I recently announced that the original allocation for Core Funding will be increased to €259m for Year 1 of the Scheme. In addition, the full year value of Core Funding will increase by €28m to €287 million in Year 2 of the Scheme. €24m of this additional allocation in Year 2 is earmarked for developments to Core Funding informed by the emerging data from Year 1 of operation. Developments may focus on promoting further capacity expansion, investing more in the base rate or to taking more targeted initiatives to invest in specific parts of the sector.
Parents experiencing difficulty in relation to their ELC and SAC needs should contact their local City/County Childcare Committee (CCC) for assistance. Contact details for CCCs may be found on www.myccc.ie.
