Robert Dowds (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

149. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her plans for improved children's services in the Clondalkin, Dublin 22 area. [51199/13]

Robert Dowds (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

150. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her plans for improved children's services in the Lucan, County Dublin area. [51200/13]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 149 and 150 together.

The commitment to improve the quality of early childhood care and education nationally for all children has been a key priority for me since becoming Minister for Children and Youth Affairs. This is why my Department and I have been progressing work on Ireland’s first-ever Early Years Strategy and working on a comprehensivePre-School Quality Agenda which aims to improve quality standards in pre-school services in Ireland. I have identified a number of key areas which I consider to require reform, and legislation to underpin these reforms is expected to be enacted before the end of the year. This legislation will provide a statutory basis for registration of pre-school services and will introduce a range of new enforcement powers for Inspectors at pre-prosecution level. Inspectors will be empowered to specify improvement conditions that a service must comply with and the threat of removal of registration will be available.

The HSE is currently recruiting a number of pre-school inspectors to strengthen the inspection framework and a further €0.5 million in funding will be allocated in 2014 towards the cost of further increasing staffing levels in the pre-school inspectorate. I have decided to increase the minimum qualification requirement of Level 5 for pre-school leaders delivering the pre-school year to Level 6 and to increase the qualification requirement for all other staff working with children in the sector to a minimum qualification at Level 5. These new requirements will apply from September 2014 for new services, and from September 2015 for existing services. During 2014/2015 I will be implementing a new national training programme for which I have secured additional funding of €3m. This programme will support the existing childcare workforce in meeting the new qualifications requirement.

The implementation of the Síolta and Aistear Practice Frameworks, developed to support quality early childhood care and education in Ireland, is an important initiative in the development of quality childcare services. I announced in Budget 2014 the introduction of a new quality support service which will work directly with services to improve quality and support the implementation of the Síolta Framework and Aistear Curriculum. €2.5 million is being made available for this service in 2014.

The Children and Young People's Policy Framework is currently being developed by my Department. The Framework will set out the overall principles, vision and outcomes for children and young people and will guide actions across Government over the period 2014 to 2018. I expect to circulate the Framework to other Ministers in December. Following approval by Government the Framework will be published early in the New Year for discussion at a Government meeting in January.

The Early Years Strategy, which is one of a number of more detailed strategies under the Children and Young People's Policy Framework, is currently being developed by my Department. The Strategy, which is expected to be published early next year, will address a range of issues affecting children in the first years of their life such as child health and well-being, parenting and family support, learning and development, play and recreation and early childhood care and education.

Significant investment totalling in excess of €260 million is provided annually by my Department to provide for the free pre-school provision through the Early Childhood Care and Education programme, and for support for disadvantage and low come families through the Community Childcare Subvention programme. The funding also supports the Childcare Education and Training Support programme which assists Solas trainees and Education and Training Board (ETB) students with the cost of childcare. I have been successful in maintaining these programmes, despite the ongoing need to reduce Government expenditure, and I am pleased that in the region of 100,000 children in the country benefit each year from these supports.

This week I also announced that the Clondalkin Blue Skies Initiative has been selected as one of 13 projects to be funded through the Government's new ABC (Area Based Childhood) Programme.