Written answers

Tuesday, 27 May 2014

Department of Children and Youth Affairs

Child Care Services Funding

Photo of Finian McGrathFinian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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993. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs his views on correspondence (details supplied) regarding a child care service in Dublin 17. [22282/14]

Photo of Clare DalyClare Daly (Dublin North, United Left)
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998. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if Darndale Belcamp Integrated Childcare Service Limited will remain open, particularly as it is a critical service for families in the area and its closure would result in the loss of 55 jobs and a number of community employment, TÚS and training positions. [22508/14]

Photo of Lucinda CreightonLucinda Creighton (Dublin South East, Independent)
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999. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the causes of Darndale Belcamp Integrated Childcare Service's funding crisis, which could lead to its closure; if he will confirm the reasons cuts were imposed to the levels highlighted by the service; if he will confirm the salaries of the senior management at the service; the action that can be taken to try and keep the service open; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22516/14]

Photo of Tommy BroughanTommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Independent)
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1008. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if the funding difficulties at a community crèche (details supplied) in Dublin 17 have now been resolved; if the organisation has been assisted to address the large deficit in funding for 2014 in order that the crèche may continue to operate and provide a vital service to 260 children on a daily basis. [22909/14]

Photo of Charles FlanaganCharles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 993, 998, 999 and 1008 together.

I am happy to provide an update for the House on the position in relation to Darndale Belcamp Integrated Childcare Service Ltd. The Centre has been experiencing widely reported cash flow difficulties over recent weeks. The Centre incurred expenditure of €2.022m in 2013 and received funding amounting to €1.96m, resulting in a deficit of €62,000. Projections by the Centre show that income of approximately €1.8m is anticipated during 2014. With such a level of financial support available it should be possible to work constructively to continue services and avoid the closure scenario that has been outlined.

Following my reply to previous questions in the House, I requested that officials from my Department meet with senior representatives from the Child and Family Agency, Pobal (which administers a number of childcare schemes on behalf of my Department) and Dublin City Child Care Committee to discuss the position. Following on from this, a meeting was arranged with the Centre which took place on 20th May. The meeting was attended by senior representatives from the Child and Family Agency, Pobal, Dublin City Childcare Committee and representatives from the board and management of Darndale Belcamp Childcare Services Ltd. The objective of this meeting was to ensure that all possible solutions to the present difficulties were explored. Arising from this meeting, a detailed examination of the Centre's costs, the funding available and the range and level of services provided is being undertaken. Representatives from Pobal and Dublin City Child Care Committee are meeting this week with representatives from the board and management of Darndale Belcamp Childcare Services to further this process.

In parallel, a wider examination will be undertaken of the level and range of early years services supported by the State in the Darndale/Belcamp/Moatview area generally. The Child and Family Agency, Pobal, Dublin City and Fingal Child Care Committees will work jointly in this regard as a priority. I indicated in my previous response to the House that I would expect that the Agency would be open to providing some further cash prepayments due to the Centre, if this is of assistance. I am pleased to confirm that the Agency has agreed to make additional prepayments to the end of August. This will be of assistance to the Centre and should allow the necessary time and space to examine the issues involved in greater detail. I want to acknowledge the support of the Agency and the commitment by the various parties to the process which I have outlined.

With regard to the level of salary paid to senior management at the Centre, I am advised by the Child and Family Agency that the Centre employs one manager and one deputy manager whose salaries are €62,816 and €56,331 per annum respectively.

Photo of Aodhán Ó RíordáinAodhán Ó Ríordáin (Dublin North Central, Labour)
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994. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if his attention has been drawn to that due to a cut in funding to an aftercare service for children with special needs in a club (details supplied) the service was forced to close as a result; if the possibility of continuing the service has been considered by his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22348/14]

Photo of Charles FlanaganCharles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Funding for the service described by the Deputy is a matter for the Department of Health. I will arrange for officials from my Department to notify the Deputy's concerns to my colleague, the Minister for Health.

Photo of Michael McCarthyMichael McCarthy (Cork South West, Labour)
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995. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if his attention has been drawn to the concern amongst practitioners in early years and school age care and education in the context of access to a living wage; that current capitation levels do not allow staff to be paid for all that is required for providing quality early years experiences for children in their care; if his attention has been drawn to difficulties faced by child care providers under the early childhood care and education scheme in paying for staff in view of the fact that the scheme does not cover staff costs for the full calendar year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22358/14]

Photo of Michael McCarthyMichael McCarthy (Cork South West, Labour)
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996. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs his views on the varying cost of child care in view of the fact that the current capitation is insufficient to meet the costs of delivering quality early years care and education in many parts of the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22360/14]

Photo of Michael McCarthyMichael McCarthy (Cork South West, Labour)
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997. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs his plans to increase funding for continuous professional development, CPD, of child care providers in view of the fact that current funding is insufficient to pay for the mandatory CPD that is required and neither is it sufficient to pay for staff to engage with quality training, including Aistear and Síolta; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22361/14]

Photo of Charles FlanaganCharles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 995 to 997, inclusive, together.

The Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme provides for one free preschool year for all eligible children in the year before commencing primary school. The programme is normally provided for 3 hours per day, 5 days per week, over 38 weeks. The Government has made a very significant commitment in maintaining the preschool year on a universal and free basis despite the current budgetary situation.

The ECCE programme is funded by my Department through the provision of capitation grants paid directly to participating services. This capitation payment is for the provision of services, including preparatory and supportive work such as engagement with parents, training and organisation. No other form of funding is available under the scheme, the key objective of which is to benefit children through providing access to preschool education. The standard capitation fee paid to participating services is €62.50 per week per eligible child. A higher capitation fee of €73 per week per eligible child is available to preschool services with more highly qualified staff. It is a fundamental principle of the programme that the preschool provision is available to parents free of charge. Preschool services participating in the programme can charge parents for additional services provided these are clearly optional to parents and appropriate programme based activities continue to be provided to children not availing of such services during the preschool year hours.

There are in the region of 4,300 preschool services participating in the programme with new services applying to enter the programme each year. The funding provided under the programme is a guaranteed source of income, paid in advance, and is an important support to services at this time. Services applying to enter the programme should be satisfied that they can meet the full cost of providing the preschool year from the capitation provided.

The ECCE programme represents an investment of almost €170 million annually in preschool services and in light of the current economic situation there are no proposals to increase this provision. My Department provides annual funding to seven voluntary childcare organisations in the childcare sector, who provide support to childcare services throughout the country. This funding, which will amount to over €2.6 million in 2014, enables the voluntary organisations to provide a range of support services to their members, including on-going training supports.

The Deputy may be aware that as part of the childcare quality agenda aimed at improving the quality of childcare services, new qualification requirements for childcare staff working directly with children were announced last year. A minimum qualification of Level 5 (or equivalent) on the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ) will be required for all staff working with children in preschool services and the minimum qualification for all preschool leaders delivering the free preschool year under the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme will be increased from Level 5 to Level 6 (or equivalent) on the NFQ. The new qualification requirements will apply to all new services from September 2014, and to all existing services from September 2015.

To support staff who are seeking to meet the new qualifications requirement, funding of €3 million is being made available over the two years 2014/2015 under the new Learner Fund which was launched in March this year. The Fund is being administered by Pobal, with the assistance of local City and County Childcare Committees (CCCs). Issues relating to workforce development, curricular support and capitation, will be considered as part of Ireland's first-ever Early Years strategy, work on which is at an advanced stage.

Photo of Patrick O'DonovanPatrick O'Donovan (Limerick, Fine Gael)
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1000. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if he will provide details of any funding his Department may have available for persons to apply for in order to set up a mother and toddler group for children. [22667/14]

Photo of Charles FlanaganCharles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Funding of €0.25 million is being provided in 2014 to support the Parent and Toddler Initiative which is administered by the City and County Childcare Committees. This Initiative provides grants to parent and toddler groups with a particular focus on disadvantaged areas. Requests for information about the Initiative can be made to the local Childcare Committee.

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