Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 199: To ask the Minister for Health and Children her views on providing schools participating in the free pre-school scheme a higher capitation grant if they employ teachers with higher educational qualifications; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28204/09]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context

As the Deputy will be aware, I have responsibility for the implementation of the new Early Childhood Care and Education scheme which provides a free pre-school year to eligible children and which will be introduced in January 2010.

The scheme is open to private and voluntary pre-school services including both sessional playschools and creche facilities. Sessional playschools will, normally, participate in the scheme by providing the pre-school year for 3 hours a day, 5 days a week over 38 weeks while full or part-time creche facilities will, normally, participate by providing the pre-school year for 2 hours, 15 minutes a day, 5 days a week over 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 approximately €276 per month where a service is participating for 38 weeks and approximately €207 per month where it participates for 50 weeks. Services may, however, charge parents for additional services provided these are clearly optional to parents and provided appropriate programme based activities continue to be provided to children not availing of such services during the pre-school year hours.

While there is no requirement in relation to the qualifications of staff under the Child Care (Pre-School Services) (No. 2) Regulations 2006, it is a requirement of the ECCE scheme that pre-school year leaders in services participating in the scheme hold a qualification in childcare which is equivalent to FETAC Level 5. It is proposed to increase this requirement to a qualification in childcare equivalent of FETAC Level 6 over time. The capitation fee which is provided for applies to all services which choose to participate and additional funding is not provided where the requirements of the scheme are exceeded.