Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 183: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if there is a mechanism for existing private child care providers to charge above the pre-school subvention rate from 1 January 2009 if a higher rate is being charged; the steps which she is taking to address additional costs such as rates and insurance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19679/09]

Barry Andrews (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy will be aware, I have responsibility for the implementation of the new scheme to provide a free Pre-School year of Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) which was announced recently by the Minister for Finance.

The scheme, which is being introduced from January 2010, will allow eligible children to avail of a free playschool place in their pre-school year, which will be provided for 3 hours per day, 5 days per week for 38 weeks. It will also allow eligible children in their pre-school year who are attending full day or part-time daycare services to avail of a free session of 2 hours and 15 minutes per day, 5 days per week for 50 weeks.

An annual capitation fee of over €2,400 will be paid to participating services in return for the provision of a free pre-school year to each child. This is equivalent to €64.50 per week where a service is participating for 38 weeks and €48.50 per week where it participates for 50 weeks. It is a matter for each participating service to manage its overheads within this framework. Services will be paid in advance at the start of each term.

As a free pre-school year, participating services must agree to provide the service in return for the capitation grant. This does not preclude a service from charging for additional services provided these are clearly optional to parents. Optional services can include additional hours, over and above the free pre-school year requirement, and additional services in the form of various one-off, or on-going, activities or services such as outings, birthday parties, specific teaching resources such as dance or music or food. By their nature, full or part-time services will offer additional hours to the pre-school provision and sessional playschools can offer an additional 30 minutes per day.

However, services must ensure that all such additional services are offered and charged for on an optional basis and are not compulsory. A parent's agreement cannot be a condition of initial or continued enrolment. It is also essential that appropriate programme based activities must be provided to children not participating in an optional activity where this takes place during the required period of pre-school provision.

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 184: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if there is a mechanism for existing child care providers who have not fully completed their training to be granted a waiver up to 1 September 2010 when they have already passed the core subjects; the basic educational requirements which they must have and if this must be completed by 1 September 2009; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19680/09]

Barry Andrews (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy will be aware I have responsibility for the implementation of the new scheme to provide a free Pre-School year of Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) which was announced recently by the Minister of Finance.

The ECCE is being introduced from January 2010 as a free scheme to benefit children in the key developmental period prior to commencing school. The scheme will allow eligible children to avail of a free pre-school place in the year before they commence school of 3 hours per day, 5 days per week over 38 weeks or 2 hours and 15 minutes per day, 5 days per week over 50 weeks. As the new scheme will be introduced from January next, the first full year will be from September 2010.

Pre-School Leaders will be expected to have a qualification in a qualification in early childhood care and education at level 5 in the National Framework of Qualifications or be in the process of completing their qualification. This can equate to a FETAC accredited major award at level 5 or equivalent. During the initial period following introduction of the scheme, evidence of completion of the core modules of FETAC level 5 will be accepted as meeting the requirement. The Workforce Development Plan which is due to be implemented in 2010, will address issues such as access and effective participation in education and training programmes and will facilitate practitioners to achieve full qualification. Within a reasonable time a qualification at level 6 in the National Framework of Qualifications will be the required qualification for staff in this position.

If an individual has completed an award in early childhood care and education that has been accredited by an international awarding body then a procedure has been established by the National Qualifications Authority of Ireland (NQAI) whereby they can seek to establish if it's recognised as being equivalent to an award on the National Framework of Qualifications.

All services will be required to provide an educational programme consistent with the principles of Síolta (the early years and education framework developed by the Centre for Early Childhood Development and Education under the Department of Education and Science) and appropriate to the age of participating children. A national team of Síolta co-ordinators will assist services in meeting these standards. The City and County Child care Committees and the National Child care Voluntary Organisations are also expected to play key roles in implementing the scheme.

Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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Question 185: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the situation for private providers of child care and play school facilities in relation to the free pre-school year as discussed under the early child care scheme; when they will be informed of the measures they need to take in order to be accepted providers of this free year of pre-school education; if there are enough child care providers to give this free pre-school year at present; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19681/09]

Barry Andrews (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy will be aware I have responsibility for the implementation of the new scheme to provide a free Pre-School year in Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE), which was announced recently by the Minister of Finance.

The ECCE which is being introduced from January 2010, will allow eligible children to avail of a free pre-school year in the year before they commence primary school. It will consist of either 3 hours per day, 5 days per week over 38 weeks or 2 hours and 15 minutes per day, 5 days per week over 50 weeks. As the new scheme will be introduced from January next, the first full year will be from September 2010.

Participating children must, normally be aged between 3 years 3 months and 4 years 6 months on the 1st September of each year. Participating services will receive capitation of €64.50 per week where children attend for 38 weeks, and €48.50 per week where they attend for 50 weeks. Services will receive payments at the start of each term. Where the child is attending full-day or part-time child care, the service will be required to reduce the child care fees by the amount of the capitation.

Up to 5,000 pre-school services, which will include more that 4,000 commercial child care providers, will be invited shortly to participate in the new scheme. These services include full and part-time daycare services as well as sessional playschool services. These services must be notified to the Health Service Executive (HSE) or registered with the Irish Montessori Education Board. Officials in my Office will be writing to these providers before the end of this month providing them with further details and advising them of the application process.

Pre-School Leaders will be expected to have a qualification in a qualification in early childhood care and education at level 5 in the National Framework of Qualifications or be in the process of completing their qualification. This can equate to a FETAC accredited major award at level 5 or equivalent. Within a reasonable time a qualification at level 6 in the National Framework of Qualifications will be the required qualification for staff in this position. All services will be required to provide an educational programme consistent with the principles of Síolta (the early years and education framework developed by the Centre for Early Childhood Development and Education under the Department of Education and Science) and appropriate to the age of participating children. A national team of Síolta co-ordinators will assist services in meeting these standards. The City and County Child care Committees and the National Child care Voluntary Organisations are also expected to play key roles in implementing the scheme.

To ensure that a satisfactory standard of pre-school provision is delivered, a minimum enrolment of 8 children is envisaged. Exceptions will be considered where, for good reason, a service has a smaller enrolment, for example where 8 children are enrolled but only 3 or more, are in their pre-school year and the remainder will be eligible for a pre-school in the following year.

Many of the 5,000 existing private and voluntary pre-school services will have already received capital grant aid under the Equal Opportunities Child care Programme (EOCP) and or the National Child care Investment Programme (NCIP). More than 65,000 additional child care places will have been created by the end of 2010 as a result of this investment. I am aware from representations received from pre-school services in recent months that many services are currently reporting vacancy rates of up to 25% in their facilities. I am also aware of a number of people are now considering investing in a child care business, and also that many existing services, which to date have only been open in the morning, citing lack of demand for an afternoon session, are now considering offering an additional session to meet an increase in local demand. As I said at the time of the announcement, some instances of under-supply may arise in the initial period of implementation of the scheme, however my Office and the city and County Child care Committees will monitor the situation carefully, to maximise the beneficial impact of the scheme for parents and children.