Seán Kyne (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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34. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs in the context of the need to ensure an adequate qualification framework, the funding supports available to community child care providers, in particular, to meet the qualification standards that are rightly required for quality child care and preschool care. [6607/14]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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Last year I announced an 8-point Pre-School Quality Agenda to address issues of quality in the pre-school sector. There is clear evidence that the level of qualification held by childcare staff has a significant impact on the quality of the service provided. It was in this context that I decided to introduce a minimum qualification for all staff working directly with children across the childcare sector. From September 2015 all existing staff working in pre-school services will be required to hold a qualification in early childhood care and education at FETAC Level 5. Pre-School Leaders delivering the free Pre-School Year programme will be required to hold a qualification at FETAC Level 6.

To support childcare workers in both the community and private sector seeking to obtain the necessary qualifications, training support funding of €0.9 million was provided by my Department at the end of last year. A further funding allocation of €1.5 million to support training is provided for in 2014 and it is intended that this allocation will be repeated in 2015, bringing the total provision to €3 million over the two year period.

My Department is currently putting arrangements in place for a new training programme. Planning is under way in association with Pobal to seek expressions of interest from accredited training providers who wish to provide FETAC Level 5 or Level 6 training under this initiative. It is likely that the City and County Childcare Committees will play an important role in identifying qualifying staff and supporting them in accessing suitable training from the panel put in place through the expressions of interest process. I expect the full details, including detailed specifications, selection criteria and operational arrangements for the new initiative, to be finalised and announced shortly.