Ms Gillian O'Connor:

I thank the committee for the opportunity to make a presentation. I am the team leader of the Dolphin House Homework Club. I am accompanied by Ms Amy Carey, who is the CEO of the Solas Project. We represent the Dublin 8 After School Alliance, which is made up of community after-school projects from across the Dublin 8 area. These services provide vital daily after-school support to over 500 children in areas such as Dolphin House, Oliver Bond Street, Basin Lane, Fatima and St. Michael's Estate.

We are here because the national childcare scheme actively risks the closure of our community-based after-school services. The scheme is a replacement for the community childcare scheme, CCS, which was originally set up to support children from disadvantaged areas who were most at risk. The scheme will have a serious impact on the education and well-being of children in Dublin 8 and of over 5,000 children nationally.

Statistics show that children and young people in urban Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools, DEIS, schools only account for 4% of entrants to higher education whereas progression rates to third level are as high as 99% in more affluent areas. We believe that all children in DEIS areas need access to community after-school projects to support their opportunities and minimise structural and educational disadvantage.

The national childcare scheme is a labour activation model where funding is based on the employment status of a parent or guardian. We are here to draw attention to the needs and rights of the most at-risk children and young people in our communities. The children who attend our community after-school services are growing up in communities where there are cycles of generational poverty, educational disadvantage and social exclusion. Some children are homeless or live in overcrowded accommodation. Many of them live in places where there is not enough space for a table on which to do homework or eat a hot meal, never mind a suitable space to play. Many of their parents have also experienced educational disadvantage and struggle to support their children's academic needs. The situation for children is further compounded by issues relating to addiction within families, people living with disabilities, gang-related violence, single parent families and children at risk of early school leaving.

Community after-school centres offer a safe, consistent and welcoming space where children get educational support and space for emotional, social and physical development. Since Covid the gap has widened for children from marginalised communities in terms of education, which means they will fall even further behind the national average for literacy and numeracy.

Statistics show that anxiety and depression are among the biggest health issues affecting both children and adults in Ireland at present. Community after-schools give children a place where their needs are met. The rights of children to play, develop, be creative, be exposed to new experiences and supported to reach their full potential is at the core of this work. After-schools are not childcare. They are an equality measure aimed at reducing the gap of educational disadvantage. Children should not need referral to go to their community centre and into their after-school club. They should not need sponsorship to play with their friends in a safe space. They do not need sponsorship to have their dinner and do their homework. These are fundamental needs and rights of children.

The Dublin 8 After School Alliance calls on the Government to immediately restore adequate funding to ensure the continuation of community after-school projects, to ensure access to community after-school projects for all children in DEIS areas and marginalised rural communities and to work with community services to design a sustainable and appropriate model of core funding for after-schools to ensure equal access to education and opportunities for all children and, in particular, those most at risk.