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

I do not have an exact date for the publication of the review. A draft has been submitted which is being compared against independent data. I expect that it will be published early in the new year.

I hope that the new funding model we are trying to develop will address some of the questions and concerns of the professionals referred to by the Deputy. We want to develop an enhanced contract whereby settings are funded to meet certain quality indicators over and above the affordable childcare scheme or universal preschool programme contracts. Those may include minimum qualifications for room leaders and assistants for children of all ages. The model would also provide for maximum fee levels for parents, minimum qualification or experience levels for managers and a restatement of the role of managers including in regard to the staff-child ratio. Overall, it proposes that if more quality is delivered, more resources will be provided.

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