Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 48, 58 and 512 together.

Following the expansion of ECCE last year 120,000 children participated in ECCE in the peak term, April 2017. The further expansion of ECCE in budget 2018 is expected to see 114,000 children attend for a full two programme years. The fact that 120,000 have already been accommodated in April 2017 suggests that capacity should not be an issue.

My Department, with the support of the local city and county child care committees and Pobal, actively monitors issues affecting child care provision, including capacity.

In addition, my Department continues to work with the Department of Education and Skills and the Central Statistics Office to identify the number of children eligible for free pre-school years. As it did before, my Department will make information available in the coming weeks to each of the 30 county child care committees on the number of children eligible for ECCE per electoral division. This will enable the CCCs support providers and parents in the local area to ensure sufficient capacity exists. If any future capacity issues are identified my Department will consider any intervention necessary, such as, for example, the provision of capital funding.

If the Deputy has any specific concerns with regard to a specific area, this area should be brought to the attention of my Department or the local city and county child care committee.

Notwithstanding this, I am keenly aware of the pressures on the sector with regard to maintaining and expanding capacity. My Department provided €8.4 million for its 2017 early years capital funding programme, doubling the €4 million provided under the 2016 early years capital funding programme. This funding has been made available to early years providers under three strands, the largest of which went towards enabling early years services to provide additional child care places.

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