Written Answers Nos. 844-863
844. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of public changing places facilities available, by location, in tabular form; the actions being taken by his Department to increase the number of available facilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40207/23]
View answerThis is a matter for my Cabinet colleague, the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage.
845. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will review the funding granted to centres run by an organisation (details supplied). [40219/23]
View answerAs this question refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
846. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to provide details on the measures his Department has taken to implement specific action points (details supplied) of the action plan to support the National LGBTI+ Inclusion Strategy 2019-2021. [40226/23]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, the National LGBTI+ Inclusion Strategy contains a number of actions, many of which are interrelated. Progress has been made on many actions within the Strategy, while progress on others was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Several actions highlighted by the Deputy relate to increased visibility and inclusion, and to the equal treatment of LGBTI+ persons. The Government’s 2021 ‘Live Out Loud’ campaign celebrated LGBTI+ young people, demonstrating their visibility, value, and inclusion in culture, society and sport. A live-streamed celebration of the campaign was broadcast from the National Opera House which featured performances from LGBTI+ young people who creatively told their stories. In 2023, my Department led on the 'Looking Back, Moving Forward' public awareness campaign. The campaign highlighted the experiences and perspectives of LGBTI+ people from diverse backgrounds, recognised the importance of support from allies, friends, family and the people of Ireland; and highlighted challenges for the LGBTI+ community going forward. (Actions 1.2 and 1.4)
In March 2023, my Department established an Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Working Group. The remit of the Working Group is to review the current DCEDIY draft Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy and action plan, develop EDI initiatives to raise awareness of EDI challenges and take positive actions to build a culture that champions EDI. When the work of this group has progressed sufficiently, further consideration will be given to relevant actions in this area, as appropriate. (Actions 2.2, 2.4, 3.2 and 12.2)
The Public Sector Equality and Human Rights Duty is a statutory provision, which requires public bodies to promote equality, protect human rights and eliminate discrimination in the performance of their functions. All Departments are required to take this into account when developing their Statement of Strategy and related policy. My Department is currently undertaking a review of the National LGBTI+ Inclusion Strategy, which will inform the development of its successor, guided by human rights-based principles, reinforced through the Public Sector Equality and Human Rights Duty. (Action 5.1)
Work to draft legislation to prohibit conversion practices in Ireland is a priority for Government this year. Policy deliberations have been informed by a broad range of factors including Trinity College Dublin research on conversion practices in Ireland commissioned by my Department, international research, engagement with relevant Government Departments and an analysis of legislation in other jurisdictions. The Government is carefully considering the underpinning policy matters to ensure that vulnerable members of society are protected from these harmful practices and that necessary and appropriate services for those with concerns in areas of sexual orientation and gender identity are not affected. It is planned that legislative proposals will be brought forward shortly. (Action 24.2)
847. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth further to Parliamentary Question No. 1010 of 13 June 2023, if a key contact has now been appointed (details supplied); when the child will be called for speech and language and occupational therapy appointments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40288/23]
View answerAs this refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
848. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to confirm that a request for transfer has been received from a person (details supplied); and if the request will be considered. [40292/23]
View answerA response will issue to the Deputy in respect of the correspondence cited in the coming days.
849. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will consider removing the requirement for crèche operators to have professionally produced accounts; if he will consider increasing funding to the sector to keep pace with the rising cost of living; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40320/23]
View answerCore Funding – a new funding scheme paid directly to providers – in its first year resulted in €259 million in public funding received by the sector. This year, it will increase by 11% to reach €287 million.
Core Funding provides supply-side funding towards the cost of service provision but requires enhanced public management and oversight, for example greater financial transparency. Specifically, as part of services’ Core Funding contract, services are required to furnish my Department with validated accounts.
A Chart of Accounts (COA) and a financial reporting template has been developed to assist with the process of services providing detailed, transparent, validated financial data as part of their contractual obligations under Core Funding.
The data collected through the financial returns will allow for further analysis of provider income and costs, adding to the evidence base upon which policy developments are based.
Core Funding contributes to sustainability by significantly increasing income of services and providing greater funding stability. In year 1, 99% of services participating in Core Funding increased funding, and 1% of services (61) received top-up payments under the Funding Guarantee.
For year 2 of Core Funding, the budget has increased by 11% to reach €287 million. The additional funding for Core Funding Year 2 is being allocated as follows:
€8.47 million towards funding the natural growth of the sector,
€6.11 million towards non-staff overheads, to support Partner Services with increases to non-staff costs, while maintaining the fee management system,
€2.2 million towards administrative staff time,
€4 million towards the removal the year 3 requirement for the Graduates Premiums, underpinned by EROs,
€7.22 million for new targeted measures which are aimed at improving the sustainability of smaller and sessional services. These include a flat rate allocation of €4,075 for all sessional-only services, which will benefit approximately 1,700 services delivering ECCE, and a minimum base rate allocation of €8,150, which will benefit small, part time and school-age services.
I do not want any services to be faced with financial sustainability issues and I am fully committed to working with any such service to support them in delivering early learning and childcare for the public good. There are supports, financial and otherwise, available to services who need them.
Sustainability funding is available to services participating in Core Funding, community and private, who are experiencing financial difficulty.
I strongly encourage services which are experiencing financial difficulty, and would like support to contact their City/County Childcare Committee (CCC) to access case management supports. Services can be assisted on an individual basis through this route.
850. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will examine the case of a child (details supplied) who, having been referred in January 2023 to the St. Gabriel’s children’s disability early intervention team, has yet to receive an appointment date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40321/23]
View answerAs this refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
851. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the status of residential care for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40329/23]
View answerAs the query refers to an individuals case, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
852. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of children getting support under the universal childcare payment of €1.40 per hour; and their distribution, by age, and by average weekly hours claimed. [40346/23]
View answerThe National Childcare Scheme (NCS) provides financial support to help families with their early learning and childcare costs. There are two types of subsidies available for children aged between 24 weeks and 15 years of age:- A universal subsidy which is not means tested and provides €1.40 per hour, for a maximum of 45 hours per week;- an income assessed subsidy which is means tested and will be calculated based on a family’s individual circumstances.
A total of 83,340 unique children have benefited from the NCS universal subsidy year to date in 2023. The breakdown of average hours claimed by age is in the table below.
|
Age (years) |
Less than 15 hours |
15 to less than 20 hours |
20 to less than 30 hours |
30 to less than 45 hours |
45 hours |
Total unique children |
|
0 |
122 |
263 |
697 |
1,761 |
2,972 |
5,815 |
|
1 |
800 |
843 |
1,656 |
3,643 |
4,802 |
11,744 |
|
2 |
2,397 |
1,285 |
2,083 |
6,304 |
1,331 |
13,400 |
|
3 |
3,072 |
1,171 |
2,830 |
5,334 |
172 |
12,579 |
|
4 |
3,041 |
1,281 |
2,817 |
3,632 |
131 |
10,902 |
|
5 |
3,308 |
1,342 |
2,320 |
859 |
54 |
7,883 |
|
6 |
3,160 |
1,098 |
1,679 |
533 |
39 |
6,509 |
|
7 |
2,668 |
789 |
961 |
291 |
32 |
4,741 |
|
8 |
2,199 |
561 |
695 |
175 |
19 |
3,649 |
|
9 |
1,710 |
400 |
477 |
125 |
14 |
2,726 |
|
10 |
1,213 |
266 |
232 |
70 |
10 |
1,791 |
|
11 |
770 |
151 |
151 |
51 |
5 |
1,128 |
|
12 |
319 |
50 |
56 |
16 |
2 |
443 |
|
13 |
18 |
5 |
2 |
25 |
||
|
14 |
3 |
1 |
1 |
5 |
||
|
Total |
24,800 |
9,500 |
16,660 |
22,797 |
9,583 |
83,340 |
853. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of children getting support under the enhanced level of support available to those below an income threshold; and their distribution, by band of reckonable income, by age, and by average weekly hours claimed. [40347/23]
View answerThe National Childcare Scheme (NCS) provides financial support to help families with their early learning and childcare costs. There are two types of subsidies available for children aged between 24 weeks and 15 years of age:- A universal subsidy which is not means tested and provides €1.40 per hour, for a maximum of 45 hours per week;- An income assessed subsidy which is means tested and will be calculated based on a family’s individual circumstances.
A total of 79,083 unique children have benefited from the NCS income assessed subsidy year to date in 2023. The breakdown of weekly hours claimed by age and number of claims by income band are in the tables below.
Number of children with a NCS claim in 2023 year to date by the average hours claimed weekly under Income Assessed applications and age
|
Age (years) |
Less than 15 hours |
15 to less than 20 hours |
20 to less than 30 hours |
30 to less than 45 hours |
45 hours |
Total unique children |
|
0 |
217 |
367 |
1,016 |
1,289 |
1,395 |
4,284 |
|
1 |
1,148 |
1,528 |
2,503 |
2,538 |
2,574 |
10,291 |
|
2 |
2,461 |
2,595 |
2,916 |
4,554 |
906 |
13,432 |
|
3 |
3,576 |
1,414 |
2,727 |
3,852 |
133 |
11,702 |
|
4 |
3,334 |
1,297 |
2,655 |
2,787 |
98 |
10,171 |
|
5 |
2,644 |
1,237 |
2,334 |
849 |
64 |
7,128 |
|
6 |
2,420 |
1,179 |
1,923 |
644 |
44 |
6,210 |
|
7 |
2,087 |
954 |
1,324 |
328 |
39 |
4,732 |
|
8 |
1,781 |
782 |
985 |
243 |
26 |
3,817 |
|
9 |
1,440 |
602 |
766 |
191 |
27 |
3,026 |
|
10 |
1,044 |
419 |
527 |
165 |
13 |
2,168 |
|
11 |
713 |
305 |
323 |
92 |
15 |
1,448 |
|
12 |
295 |
100 |
126 |
42 |
9 |
572 |
|
13 |
21 |
4 |
17 |
21 |
10 |
73 |
|
14 |
8 |
1 |
11 |
9 |
29 |
|
|
Total |
23,189 |
12,784 |
20,153 |
17,604 |
5,353 |
79,083 |
Number of children with a NCS claim in 2023 year to date under Income Assessed applications by reckonable income band
|
Income band |
Total unique children |
|
Up to €5,000 |
3,149 |
|
€5,000.01 to €10,000 |
1,859 |
|
€10,000.01 to €15,000 |
5,762 |
|
€15,000.01 to €20,000 |
9,480 |
|
€20,000.01 to €25,000 |
10,698 |
|
€25,000.01 to €30,000 |
12,733 |
|
€30,000.01 to €35,000 |
11,414 |
|
€35,000.01 to €40,000 |
9,661 |
|
€40,000.01 to €45,000 |
8,891 |
|
€45,000.01 to €50,000 |
8,311 |
|
€50,000.01 to €55,000 |
6,927 |
|
€55,000.01 to €60,000 |
5,435 |
|
More than €60,000* |
8,276 |
|
Total |
79,083 |
* Households that apply for an income assessed application but are above the reckonable income threshold are awarded the universal subsidy rate and hours.
854. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth how the hourly rate of support for childcare in different age groups is calculated in the different bands of reckonable income. [40348/23]
View answerThe rate for income-related National Childcare Scheme subsidies depends on the applicant’s reckonable income and varies from a minimum rate of €1.40 to a maximum of €5.10 per hour of childcare used. The table below shows the maximum and minimum income-related subsidy rates per hour, which vary according to the child’s age and the child’s education status.
|
Child's Age |
Minimum Subsidy per hour |
Maximum subsidy per hour |
|
Less than 12 months |
€1.40 |
€5.10 |
|
12-24 months |
€1.40 |
€4.35 |
|
3+ years |
€1.40 |
€3.95 |
|
At school (or older than 6 years of age and less than 15 years of age) |
€1.40 |
€3.75 |
• Income below €26,000Applicants with reckonable income (inclusive of any partner’s income) at or below €26,000 per annum qualify for the maximum hourly rate of subsidy depending on the child's age and education stage.
• Income between €26,000 and €60,000For applicants with reckonable income (inclusive of any partner’s income) between €26,000 and €60,000 per annum, the subsidy rate tapers downward as reckonable income rises, declining evenly from the maximum subsidy rate to the minimum subsidy rate.
• Income above €60,000
€60,000 is the maximum income threshold for the income-related subsidy. A family applying for an Income Assessed subsidy whose income exceeds the maximum threshold will receive a subsidy of €1.40 per hour in respect of each child on the application for whom a subsidy has been requested.
The following formula is used to calculate the rate of subsidy:
NS = the minimum subsidy rate (either €0 or €1.40),
XS = the maximum subsidy rate (which varies by age and education status),
MT = the maximum income threshold (€60,000),
BT = the base income threshold (€26,000), and
RI = the reckonable income.
855. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of children benefiting from the core funding payment for childcare; their distribution, by age, and by hours delivered; and the number of children in classrooms led by graduate leaders. [40349/23]
View answerCore Funding funds capacity (child places permitted) as per the Tusla Register, once that capacity is staffed appropriately, the Department's Core Funding data does not capture if the places are subsequently filled or not.
Core Funding is based on operating hours per week, operating weeks per year, number of places offered by services, and the age group of children for whom the places are offered, given the staffing requirements determined by the regulatory ratios for different care categories, as well as allocations for graduate leaders in services. Structuring Core Funding primarily based on capacity means that Partner Services have an allocation each year that does not fluctuate in line with children’s attendance.
Therefore data can be provided on capacity, at the peak of uptake for year 1 of Core Funding (June 2023), 283.35 million place hours were reported in Core Funding applications. Place hours account for hours offered to all children in Partner Services. These hours were distributed amongst the different age groups as follows:
|
0 to 1 year olds |
7,426,316.44 |
|
1 to 2 year olds |
30,323,811.71 |
|
2 to 3 year olds |
41,616,871.39 |
|
1 to 2.5 year olds |
1,026,239.04 |
|
3 to 6 year olds |
67,226,571.37 |
|
2.5 to 6 year olds |
65,836,403.37 |
|
SAC (4-15 years old) |
69,894,351.92 |
|
Total |
283,350,565.2 |
At that point in time, there were 2,117 Graduate Managers and 4,525 Graduate Lead Educators reported in Partner Services, attracting premiums for 2,973,831.10 annual hours and 7,586,268.50 annual hours respectively.
856. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he has considered innovations to reduce the amount of administration and record keeping associated with the core funding payment for childcare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40350/23]
View answerI acknowledge the administrative burden for providers has increased with the introduction of new schemes, including Core Funding.
In addition to providing €27.2 million for administration under Core Funding this year, a number of steps have been taken this year to reduce the administrative workload under this Scheme.
A Universal Fee Table has been introduced, which will enable services to upload one single fee table that covers all DCEDIY schemes.
The Parent Statement has also been refined so that one agreement now covers all DCEDIY schemes and this only has to be signed once between the provider and parent irrespective of fee changes.
Moreover, applications for Core Funding included an auto-populated data function.
I have committed to engaging with a new sub-group of the Early Learning and Childcare Stakeholder Forum to facilitate further progress on this issue, with this work to commence in the coming months.
857. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of hours funded under the free early childhood care and education scheme; the number of children who take it up, indicating those who complete two years; the hourly payment made to providers; and when this was last increased. [40351/23]
View answerThe Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme is a universal two-year pre-school programme available to all children within the eligible age range. The programme is provided for three hours per day, five days per week over 38 weeks per year and runs from September to June each year, aligned with the primary school calendar.
To deliver this programme, pre-school providers receive a capitation of €69.00 per child per week.
For the programme year 2022-23 there were 108,605 children registered on the ECCE programme. Based on the latest data available from the Department of Education 83% of children availing of ECCE complete the two years with the remaining 17% choosing to start primary school rather than continuing with their second year of ECCE .
The ECCE capitation paid to pre-school providers increased by 7% in September 2018 from €64.50 to €69. The hourly payment for each child attending the ECCE service is €4.60.
On 15th September 2022, I launched Together for Better, the new funding model for early learning and childcare. This new funding model supports the delivery of early learning and childcare for the public good, for quality and affordability for children, parents and families as well as stability and sustainability for providers. Together for Better brings together three major programmes, the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme, including the Access and Inclusion Model (AIM), the National Childcare Scheme (NCS) and the new Core Funding scheme.
The primary purpose of the new Core Funding scheme is to improve pay and conditions in the sector as a whole and improve affordability for parents as well as ensuring a stable income to providers. Core Funding is allocated to services based on the number of child places being made available (whether filled or not), the age group of children for whom the places are available and the number of hours the places are available for, as well as the graduate qualifications of leaders in the service. Core Funding allows for substantial increases in the total cost base for the sector, related both to pay and non-pay costs, without additional costs being passed on to parents. Core Funding was worth €259 million in its first year of operation (September 2022-August 2023), and has increased to €287 million for the second programme year which began on 1 September 2023. Between ECCE and Core Funding, ECCE services will now get a minimum of €79.20 per child per week. This is before the additional graduate premium of €4.44 per hour and the flat rate of €4,075 per year for sessional-only services are added, where applicable. With 8 children, this €79.20 translates to a minimum of €42.24 per hour of ECCE service delivery; more commonly with 11 children, this will be €58.08 per hour to operate the service.
Budget 2023 allocates €1,025m to early learning and childcare – a significant increase in funding and a clear demonstration from Government of the value of the sector.
858. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the estimated number of children being cared for in the private home of the carer; the number of applications which have been made for the interim support to such carers; and what steps need to be taken before these carers could be included within the supports of the national childcare scheme. [40352/23]
View answerThe National Action Plan for Childminding 2021-2028 defines a childminder as a self-employed person, working in their own home, caring for children, at least one of whom is not related to them. Childminders who are currently minding four or more preschool children or seven children of any age, are required to register with Tusla and can already access National Childcare Scheme subsidies for parents. While only a small number of childminders are currently required to register with Tusla under the Child Care Act 1991, it is intended that the National Action Plan for Childminding will result in the opening up of the National Childcare Scheme to a much wider cohort of childminders. Data from Census 2022 indicates that nearly 53,000 children (aged under 15 years old) are currently cared for by childminders.
The main route through which parents are subsidised for their early learning and childcare costs is the National Childcare Scheme. The Childcare Support Act 2018, which provides a statutory basis for the National Childcare Scheme, specifies that only Tusla-registered providers are eligible to participate in the Scheme. The limitation of public funding schemes to Tusla-registered childcare providers helps to ensure that public funding is provided where there is assurance of the quality of provision.
The National Action Plan for Childminding sets out a plan for extending State support and regulation to childminding on a phased basis, with accelerated access to subsidies for families who use childminders through the National Childcare Scheme. The National Action Plan for Childminding commits to opening the National Childcare Scheme to non-relative childminders at the earliest possible opportunity, though it will be necessary first to develop and introduce childminder-specific regulations, and to give childminders adequate time and support to meet regulatory requirements.
The National Action Plan sets out a phased approach with a preparatory phase followed by an extended transition phase, to allow childminders a lead-in time for any requirements. This supportive, phased transition process aims to facilitate the largest possible number of childminders to enter the regulated sector, the sphere of quality assurance, and access to Government subsidies, while recognising the time and supports required for this reform.
Phase 1 of the Plan, which began in 2021, involves preparatory work, putting in place the building blocks of this major reform. Phase 1, which is expected to take 3 years to complete, includes developing new regulations and training that are specific to childminding, amending legislation, rolling out training, further research on costs and on ways to support childminders most effectively, and re-examining the funding and financial supports available for childminders.
859. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the latest number of children participating in the various streams of support under the access inclusion model; and the number of staff deployed in delivering services. [40353/23]
View answerThe Access and Inclusion Model encompasses 7 levels of support, which include universal supports (levels 1-3) and targeted supports (levels 4-7) , based on the needs of the child and the early learning and care (ELC) setting. Universal supports are designed to create a more inclusive culture in ELC settings, through training courses and qualifications for staff. Where universal supports are not enough to meet the needs of an individual child, targeted supports are available to ensure the child can meaningfully participate in ELC.
In 2023 there was an increase in demand in AIM supports post COVID-19, with 7,217 children being approved for targeted AIM supports combined.
The number of children participating in the various targeted streams of support under the Access and Inclusion Model for the 2022/23 programme call was as follows.
Number of children supported 2022/23
|
AIM Level |
|
|
4 |
5,213 |
|
5 |
284 |
|
7 |
6,259 |
AIM Level 7 additional assistance in the early learning and care room involves additional capitation for service providers where an application process has demonstrated that supports at Level 1-6 have not, or will not, by themselves, meet the child’s needs. Funding can be used by the provider to buy in additional support, or reduce the staff / child ratio, supporting the pre-school leader to ensure the child’s optimal participation.
AIM Level 1 aims to embed an inclusive culture in services, includes the national inclusion policy and guidelines for ECCE, the funding of the Leadership for Inclusion (LINC) training programme, the establishment of Inclusion Co-Ordinator (INCO) roles in ECCE settings, and a small increase in capitation of €2 per registered ECCE child for services with qualified Inclusion Co-ordinators. The role of the Inclusion Co-ordinator is to provide leadership within the ELC setting in relation to issues of diversity, equality and inclusion.
Whilst not explicitly tracked, many more children are supported through the universal AIM components.The data hereunder describes the capitations paid to services under AIM level 7 and level 1. To note more than one child may be supported by an AIM Level 7 staff member and the same individual may work across different sessions and be counted under more than one capitation.
|
Capitation Data |
ECCE 2022/23 |
|
Unique count of capitations where an additional assistant has been employed |
6,280 |
|
No. of INCOs in employment |
2,508 |
860. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth whether improvements in maternity, paternity, or parental leave is scheduled; and if so, the dates that they will take effect. [40354/23]
View answerThe Government has committed to the continued support of working parents to achieve a better work-life balance. The Parent’s Leave and Benefit Act 2019 introduced two weeks of paid Parents' Leave for each parent to be taken in the first year after the birth or adoptive placement of a child. In April 2021, an additional three weeks of paid Parents' Leave was made available to each qualifying parent. The period in which the leave can be taken has also been extended to the first two years after the birth or adoptive placement of a child. Furthermore, in July 2022 Parent's Leave and Benefit was increased from five weeks to seven weeks. In line with the EU Work-Life Balance Directive, Parent’s Leave and Benefit is required to increase by an additional two weeks to nine weeks by August 2024.I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
861. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to provide a list of all studies, research and reports commissioned by his Department that were outsourced, in each year since the formation of this Government, in tabular form; the names of the companies to which each study, research and report was outsourced; the total cost for each; the number of reports finalised and presented to him that have yet to be released by his Department; the dates on which any such reports yet to be released were first provided to him; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40365/23]
View answerMy Department is currently collating the information requested and a reply will issue directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
862. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth whether a school (details supplied) has been assigned therapist hours. [40382/23]
View answerAs this refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
863. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth for a breakdown of the cost to allow services to use service capacity rather than the child's attendance as the mechanism for measuring funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40455/23]
View answerIn 2023, State investment in early learning and childcare will exceed €1 billion for the first time, achieving an investment target set out in the First 5 Strategy, five years ahead of schedule. In 2023, this has seen investment of:
• €308 million for the ECCE programme including AIM
• €342 million for the NCS and
• €266 million for Core Funding
All children meeting the minimum age requirement of 2 years and 8 months are eligible for two full programme years on the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme. The ECCE programme is offered for 3 hours per day, up to 5 days per week.
ECCE is not a mandatory programme and it is parental choice whether a child attends full time, part time or not at all. A parent/guardian may choose to avail of, for example, only 4 days of ECCE per week. This would mean that their child attends for 12 hours of free early learning and care under the ECCE programme. It would be an inappropriate use of public funds to pay a subvention of the full amount of 15 hours a week to a provider only providing a service of 12 hours a week in this scenario.
Providers must keep daily attendance records for each child attending and records must include the child’s full name, date of attendance, time of child’s arrival and time of child’s departure. Where attendance differs from registration in a consistent pattern over a four week period, registrations must be updated to reflect the actual pattern of attendance. An update on the Early Years Hive (the online registration system) must occur immediately after the four weeks of the reduced attendance pattern commencing.
In exceptional circumstances, for example, serious illness, the service provider may apply to retain a child's registration beyond four weeks up to a maximum of twelve weeks.
The NCS is designed to be flexible and acknowledge that early learning and childcare needs differ widely across different families. NCS subsidies are awarded as an hourly rate, along with a maximum number of weekly hours that the subsidy will be paid for. The actual subsidy payment is based on the hours agreed between the parent and provider, and claimed by the provider on the NCS system. Given the large amount of public money that is invested by the Exchequer in funding the Scheme, this ensures an appropriate level of oversight and accountability.
A certain level of under-attendance is permitted under the NCS. The Scheme recognises that there are many reasons why a child's attendance may occasionally be less than their agreed hours due to, for example, illness or appointments - or a parent being able to collect their child earlier than usual. The subsidy is not affected if parents collect their children earlier on occasion, or if a child misses a week or two due to illness. The attendance rules relate to circumstances where a child is continuously absent from a service, or not fully using the agreed place over a prolonged period. These rules are intended to reflect the realities of family life in a child-centred, fair and proportionate manner.
Where a child is not fully using the agreed place, the NCS allows for an eight-week cycle of continued under-attendance. As long as the under-attendance is broken by one full week of attendance for the agreed hours, the subsidy will remain unchanged. The Scheme also provides for particular exemptions to the attendance rules under certain circumstances to allow for extended absences up to 12 weeks in exceptional circumstances, including a prolonged illness.
In contrast to the ECCE programme and the NCS, Core Funding is largely allocated to services based on their capacity with a smaller proportion of the funding determined by the qualifications of those working in a service,
Capacity is a measure of the places being offered and the number of hours of service being provided.
Calculation of the capacity of a service takes into account the regulatory requirements. Under the Regulations, the number of places a service can offer depends on the size of rooms and the age of the children. It also depends on the number of staff present, with staff:child ratio requirements linked to the age of children. Services will declare the capacity they offer and a Core Funding value will be calculated based on that capacity. A service’s Core Funding will then scale depending on the opening hours and weeks of the service.
The structure of Core Funding is based on the recommendations of the Expert Group on the new funding model for early learning and childcare. Structuring it in this way means that services will have an allocation each year that will not fluctuate in line with children's attendance.
