Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I want to begin by apologising on behalf of the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, who would have liked to have been here but he is delayed. I am going to read his script but I have taken a note of what the Senator mentioned in respect of Donard community play group and Creative Kids & Co.

I thank Senator Sherlock for raising this issue and for offering the opportunity to respond. I regret to hear that early learning and childcare services are being displaced from school premises although I can appreciate the position of the schools in needing to prioritise the establishment of early intervention classes. The Department of Education guidelines on the use of school buildings outside of school hours guides schools in the use of school facilities for other services, including early learning and childcare services. The guidelines are clear that the issue is a matter for the property owners, taking into consideration the needs of the school staff and students. The guidelines also require that any licence should include a term that the use of the facility or portion of the site covered by the licence must cease should it be required for school provision.

Government is aware of the challenges that can face an early learning and childcare service if it unexpectedly loses its premises. The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth has an effective process in place to support providers in such circumstances. The Department provides the majority of funding to the early learning and childcare sector, primarily to the ECCE programme and the national childcare scheme and, from September, through a core funding scheme. However, it does not directly operate or manage early learning or childcare services.

These services are provided as for-profit or non-profit services and are either privately owned or operated by community organisations. While decisions about the day-to-day running of such services, including choice of location, any contracts or leases for premises and any decision to close is ultimately a matter for the provider, the Department can provide support in a number of ways to services that face losing their premises.Support to find alternative accommodation is available to all services, both private and community, from the local city and county childcare committee, CCC. The CCCs have engaged with services that were losing their premises and have provided assistance to identify alternative premises. The local CCC should be the first point of contact for any service seeking support.

Parents whose children are attending a service that may be due to close can contact their CCC for assistance in locating an alternative early learning and childcare place for their child. A recent survey of early learning and childcare services showed significant unused capacity for early childhood care and education, ECCE, places. CCCs can share this information with parents.

The Department oversees a case management process through its city and childcare committees and Pobal, which work together to provide support to early learning and childcare services experiencing difficulties. Case management assistance can include specialist advice and support appropriate to individual circumstances. Financial support may also be accessed through the case management process following a financial assessment. This support is currently available to community services to assist with operational costs associated with a sudden need to move premises.

From autumn, a new strand of the sustainability fund connected with core funding will operate. It will be open to both private and community providers that are in contract for core funding. As with previous strands of the sustainability fund, it will focus on operational and financial supports to assist services manage their immediate difficulties and transition to sustainability. Any early learning and childcare services that are at risk of losing their premises in a school or elsewhere are encouraged to contact the local city or county childcare committee as soon as possible.

I know what I have just said is of little comfort to the Senator because, at the end of the day, there are 55 spaces in a particular area that will not be available on 1 September unless the service finds a premises. It is incumbent on the city and county childcare committee to assist both providers to find alternative accommodation.