Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 16 April 2024
599. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the funding opportunities that exist in 2024 for the community childcare sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16480/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraSubstantial investment has been allocated over the period 2023-2025 to the early learning and childcare sector under the revised National Development Plan (NDP). This will enable significant capital investment in early learning and childcare across three pillars:
Building Blocks - Improvement Grant;
Building Blocks - Capacity Grant
Building Blocks - Innovation Grant.
On 7 December last, I announced details of the Building Blocks - Capacity Grant scheme, to be operated over 2024 and 2025, which is aimed at addressing capacity gaps by expanding existing provision through internal renovations and extensions where most needed. Funding will be split into two strands.
Under the Building Blocks Expansion Grant Scheme, applications for which have recently closed, my Department will provide grants for the renovation or reconfiguration of existing Early Learning and Care facilities to deliver additional capacity. Community early learning and childcare services were eligible to apply for funding under this scheme. Community services were permitted to apply for full funding of renovation projects, whereas private services were required to demonstrate a 50% contribution to the project.
I hope to announce details of the Building Blocks Extension Grant Scheme in the coming months. This strand will provide grants for larger scale extension projects to increase capacity and will also be open to community early learning and childcare services. The network of City and County Childcare Committees will provide supports for services that are considering applying for funding under the scheme.
Together for Better brings together four strands, the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE programme), including the Access and Inclusion Model (AIM), the National Childcare Scheme (NCS), Core Funding, and the Equal Participation Model which is currently in development.
All services, community and private, have the option of joining Core Funding. The Core Funding programme year follows the school year and runs from September to August. The programme is currently in its second year of operation.
The allocation model for distributing the Core Funding budget of €287 million for year 2 was announced by the Minister at the Early Learning and Childcare Stakeholder Forum. For the second year of operation, Core Funding increased by €28 million, an 11% increase.
Core Funding allows for substantial increases in the total cost base for the sector, related both to pay and non-pay costs.
Arising from Budget 2024, the Core Funding allocation for year 3 of the scheme will increase by 15% - to €331 million. This will support the delivery of a range of enhancements in Year 3 of the scheme to support improved affordability and accessibility for families, improved pay and conditions for the workforce and improved sustainability for providers.
I am pleased to have secured an allocation of €4.5m to commence the first phase of roll-out of the Equal Participation Model from September 2024.
Officials in my Department are progressing work to finalise the Equal Participation Model (EPM) which will aim to help children and their families who may be experiencing disadvantage to access early learning and childcare settings, through a range of supports, universal and targeted.
The design of the EPM is being finalised based on extensive feedback and consultations with educators, parents, providers and representative organisations. The detail will be published in early 2024.
Target services will be identified using existing data including, but not exclusively, the Pobal HP deprivation index within an evidence based identification process. The detail will be published in Q2 2024.
Implementation will be phased with ongoing engagement with key stakeholders on later phases being a key element of the implementation approach.
