Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy. A transformative package of measures for the early learning and care, ELC, and SAC sectors was announced in budget 2022, including €221 million in core funding. Core funding will operate from September in order to support improved quality, affordability and sustainability. The significant majority of ELC and SAC services will see substantial increases in income through core funding.

It is important to state that no service will lose out on core funding. All services will receive at least the same level of core funding as they received from higher capitation and programme support payments, PSPs, this year, assuming the number of children, graduate staff and type of service offered remain the same. For early childhood care and education, ECCE, sessional services operating with standard capitation, all full- and part-time services and all SAC services, there will be substantial increases in funding. There will also be increases in funding for the large majority of ECCE sessional services operating with higher capitation. Approximately 1% of services will see the same income from core funding as they received this year through higher capitation and PSPs combined but no service will be less well off under core funding than under the previous scheme.

Core funding is largely contingent on an employment regulation order, ERO, being agreed by the joint labour committee, JLC, for the sector. If agreed, an ERO will establish minimum rates of pay and conditions for all workers and it is a matter for the JLC to determine whether different rates should apply for different roles and qualification levels of staff. A JLC was established this year and has been meeting regularly in recent months.

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