Written answers

Tuesday, 4 November 2014

Department of Children and Youth Affairs

Early Child Care Education

Photo of Stephen DonnellyStephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Independent)
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556. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if his attention has been drawn to child care providers that have yet to be paid for their participation in the ECCE scheme for Q3 2014 and that, in the absence of these payments, that these providers have to cover the full costs of this service themselves; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41617/14]

Photo of James ReillyJames Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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The Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme is implemented by my Department and provides a free preschool year to all children before they commence primary school.

An advance payment is made to participating child care providers at the end of August each year and is based on the number of children which were enrolled in that service for the free preschool provision in the previous academic year. This payment provides for the first 8 weeks of the new school year. In the case of new participants in the programme, a similar advance payment is made but in respect of 3 children. There is provision under the programme to make an additional advance payment if a provider has a significant higher number than that provided for in the initial advance payment.

Following the submission of the annual parental returns detailing the number of eligible children enrolled in each service, a further payment is made in October which ensures that all providers are funded for all children enrolled for the period up until the first week of December. Advance payments continue to made over the remaining terms of the school year.

Where child care providers are in contract with my Department to provide the free preschool year and have satisfied the terms and conditions of the programme, payments issue in accordance with the draft payment schedule which is published on the Department's website at the beginning of each school year. In the current academic year, child care providers have been paid on time other than in specific cases where, for example, an up to date tax clearance certificate is not provided or where bank details or some other information is not submitted.

There are in the region of 4,200 child care providers participating in the programme and providing the free preschool provision to approximately 68,000 children each year. This programme represents an annual investment of almost €175 million paid directly to child care providers. The Department has implemented the ECCE programme in a way that ensures that all providers who meet the contractual obligations of the programme are paid in advance of the service being provided.

The new Programmes Implementation Platform (PIP), which is currently being introduced, is expected to further streamline the payment process for all of the child care support programmes implemented by this Department.

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