Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs in view of the fact that childcare funding schemes are presenting more demands on childcare services to avail of particular training or have certain competencies, and that in service training is often carried out by early childhood staff voluntarily on their own time, the solutions she will put forward to address this issue; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56134/12]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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The Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme was introduced in January 2010 with the objective of providing one free pre-school year for all eligible children prior to commencing primary school.

Childcare services participating in the ECCE programme are paid a standard capitation fee of €62.50 per week for each eligible child enrolled for the free pre-school year. Under the terms of the ECCE programme, the pre-school leaders delivering the programme must hold a certification for a major award in childcare/early education at a minimum of level 5 on the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ) or an equivalent nationally-recognised qualification or a higher award in the childcare/early education field. My Department has part-subsidised on-line courses, developed by one of the National Voluntary Childcare Organisations, for unqualified practitioners in the current workforce who wish to achieve a level 5 award.

In keeping with the Government's commitment to increasing standards in the pre-school sector, a higher capitation payment of €73 per week is available to childcare services in which all childcare workers have qualification levels above the minimum requirements for the programme. One of the requirements for the higher capitation is that the pre-school leader holds a qualification in a relevant discipline at a minimum of a full level 7 award on the NFQ.

I have been successful in maintaining the ECCE programme as a free and universal programme despite the reduced funding available to my Department. Funding of €176 million is being made available this year to ensure that the increased cohort of eligible children have access to a quality free pre-school year.

Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if resources for a national implementation programme regarding síolta, aistear and the national literacy and numeracy strategy will be a key feature of the forthcoming national early years strategy; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56135/12]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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The implementation of Síolta, the National Quality Framework for Early Childhood, and Aistear, the Early Education framework, is being overseen by the Early Years Education Policy Unit of the Department of Education and Skills, which is co-located with my Department.

The National Literacy and Numeracy Strategy was formally launched by my colleague,the Minister for Education and Skills, last year.

Future developments relating to early years care and education are being considered as part of the preparation of the National Early Years Strategy which is expected to be completed in the first half of 2013. The Strategy will cover a range of issues affecting children in their first years of life, such as health, family support, learning and development and care and education. The Strategy will identify the structures and policies needed to improve early years experience in Ireland and it is expected that the issue of resources to support frameworks referred to by the Deputy will be considered as part of this process.