Mr. Mick Kenny:

The Deputy talked about the changes in the funding that have been seen with the targeted schemes. The initial changes in funding to target disadvantaged children occurred in 2015 or 2016, when the Department started reviewing whether there was a case to recoup funding from the targeted schemes. In 2017, on legal advice, the Department changed the funding rules, where children used to be funded for the place they attend, to an attendance base, which is similar to the national childcare scheme at the moment. In 2018 and into 2019, the Department directed Pobal to carry out compliance visits on services. It was directed to target services that had the highest level of funding, which traditionally were services in disadvantaged areas. It directed Pobal to set the compliance bar quite high, knowing that would be detrimental to many of the services.

We carried out a report on the matter and, in 2018 and 2019, we tracked that about €5.7 million had been withdrawn from about 1,000 childcare services. Nevertheless, while it had technically been withdrawn from the childcare services, in essence it was withdrawn from the children. Having spoken to several services throughout the country, I know they appealed on a children’s rights basis. There were complex circumstances and many families were in need of support, but this was not taken into consideration. The rule was the rule. For various issues, such as the child being dropped in late or collected early, funding was withdrawn but that did not take into consideration the wrap-around supports many services provide, such as the hot meals and the parenting supports. Sometimes, a child might need to be in by 9 a.m. but you might be happy to see him or her coming in at 10 a.m. because even at that time, there is an opportunity to support the child and the family. We need that sort of flexibility.

At the moment, with the NCS, many children are locked out of after-school services because they are not entitled to it based on the status of the parent. Even in the early years sector, in the case of many children who had been entitled to substantial funding to support them with breakfast, lunch and hot meals, their funding has been cut right back. The EWSS was a lifeline for many services. Many of them, especially in disadvantaged areas, believe the EWSS is obscuring issues with the national childcare scheme and the loss of the targeted schemes. In our case, it allows us to provide hot meals and supports but the scheme will end eventually. Many services are at that cliff edge. We will not have funding to provide hot meals any more. Services are facing closure, or they could have to restructure to the point where they will stop providing full-day care and the under-three places and move to a more sustainable model of sessional services.