Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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48. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if her attention has been drawn to the shortages in ECCE places particularly for the second free pre-school year in rural Ireland; and the steps she is taking to address this matter. [43464/17]

Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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58. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if her attention has been drawn to a shortage of ECCE places around the country, particularly in rural areas; and the steps she will be taking to address this. [43772/17]

Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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512. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if her attention has been drawn to a shortage of ECCE places around the country, particularly in rural areas; and the steps she will be taking to address this. [43783/17]

Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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The shortage of ECCE places is particularly a problem in rural areas and is one of great importance to people in my constituency of Cavan-Monaghan. We must always be concerned that rural parts of the country are looked after as well as urban areas.

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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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.

Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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The Minister's remarks contain welcome news. My understanding from speaking with child care workers is that there is a problem with capacity because there is such demand for places, which is welcome. Many child care providers do not have the capacity or the wherewithal to supply the demand so I look forward to any announcements that the Minister might make on capital funding or infrastructure that might be put in place for these child care providers who cannot provide the places so that parents can access the free preschool year. The Minister's response today is welcome and I thank her for it.

Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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My remarks on capacity differs little from Deputy Niamh Smyth's. The issues with capacity that I would have brought to the Minister's attention in recent days related to a crèche in Mountbellew in my constituency, and there is another one in Deputy Michael Moynihan's constituency. These crèches are seeking to expand and are looking to see if a capital programme will be put forward to deal with the problem of capacity they face, where they can cater for the first year but the second year and extension of the scheme will put them under pressure. They need to provide an extra room or portacabin. The money allocated last year was very welcome but there are several crèches, which have been in existence since 2007, that are looking to expand and want to know if there will be funding in the future.

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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Am I correct that the Deputies' questions refer to crèches or providers that have not previously applied for funding for capital expansion?

Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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That is precisely to whom we refer.

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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In the budget, there is money for capital expenditure. We will develop a process to make that available in budget 2018. I look forward to having these conversations with the Deputies.