Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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190. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the measures she is putting in place to deal with a projected increase in the young population, under 14 years, of up to 100,000 by 2012; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22028/13]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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As well as a number of childcare, youth and other programmes, my Department is responsible for the implementation of the free pre-school year in early childhood care and education (ECCE programme). As a result, statistical information in relation to the numbers of children and young people living in Ireland is a crucial factor in my Department’s planning for programme development and budgetary requirements.

The significant increase in birth rates in Ireland in recent years has been closely monitored by my Department. In particular, the introduction of the ECCE programme for 3 to 4 year olds in January 2010 coincided with a significant upward trend in the birth rate during the period 2006 to 2009. As a result, the annual cost of the ECCE programme has risen over the course of 2010 to date.

The Department of Public Expenditure and Reform was advised that this would be the case, and this was reflected in the additional budgetary provision of €9.8m which was secured for the ECCE programme in 2012.

It is my intention to maintain the free pre-school year as a universal programme despite the continued increase in the number of eligible children which the latest CSO study continues to indicate, and the fact that additional funding may be required.

I am also very conscious that work is continuing on improvement of quality within the pre-school year. All of the available evidence indicates that the quality of the provision is key to obtaining good outcomes for children. In particular, I would like to see further progress in workforce development within the sector and I will be working with my colleagues, the Minister for Education and Skills and the Minister for Social Protection, to determine how this might be managed in the context of current financial constraints.