Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

792. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of organisations to which payments are being made under the early childhood care and education scheme; the number of these organisations that employ persons under community employment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25631/14]

Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme provides for one free pre-school year for all eligible children in the year before commencing primary school. Capitation payments are made to approximately 4,300 pre-school services that have eligible children enrolled under the programme. Responsibility for employing suitably qualified staff for the delivery of the programme is a matter for the childcare provider.

Only community/not-for-profit childcare services may employ persons under the community employment scheme. Approximately 1,200 community services are participating in the ECCE programme. Figures for the number of persons employed under the CE scheme in community/not-for-profit childcare services are not collated. by my Department. However, figures published in Pobal's Annual Survey of the Early Years Sector 2012 indicate that there were 877 persons employed under the CE scheme from a total of 863 community based childcare services which participated in the survey.