Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 30 April 2024
116. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will provide an update on plans to establish Childcare Ireland; what form the agency will take; the progress to date on changes to the operating model for childcare in Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19138/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraSignificant progress has been made in advancing plans for a dedicated state agency for early learning care and school age childcare (ELC/SAC). It is envisaged that this dedicated agency will undertake the functions currently carried out by Pobal Early Years (including Better Start), the 30 City/County Childcare Committees (CCCs), as well as operational functions currently undertaken by my Department.
A Programme Oversight Board has been established for the agency and is tasked with overseeing the analysis and design phase of the programme. The Programme Oversight Board will ensure that proposals for a new agency are based on offering the best possible service to children and their families, practitioners and service providers while ensuring value for money.
My Department is currently engaging with independent consultants who have been contracted to carry out a phase of research, analysis and robust stakeholder engagement to inform the design of the agency. This work, which is expected to take 18-24 months, will culminate in a costed agency design, including the remit, organisational structure and service delivery model, which will be presented to Government for approval.
My Department is committed to ongoing consultation with all stakeholders throughout the design process. In that regard a series of stakeholder consultation sessions have already been held with key stakeholders and valuable input has been received as part of a collaborative co-design process to develop a vision, mission and values for the agency. A report has been compiled from these initial consultations and the report has been circulated to the participating stakeholders. A further series of stakeholder consultations are scheduled for May 2024 and consultations will continue throughout the lifetime of this programme.
