Written answers

Thursday, 29 January 2015

Department of Children and Youth Affairs

Child Care Services Funding

Photo of Tom FlemingTom Fleming (Kerry South, Independent)
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125. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if he will examine the current basic capitation rates, for the free preschool year linked to national agreed pay scales with a view to increasing same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4118/15]

Photo of James ReillyJames Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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The Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme provides for one free pre-school year for all eligible children before commencing primary school. A standard capitation fee of €62.50 per week per eligible child is paid to participating childcare services with a higher capitation fee of €73 per week per eligible child available to services with more highly qualified staff.

The Government succeeded in maintaining the pre-school year on a universal and free basis despite the difficult budgetary situation that prevailed in recent years. While considerable progress has been made in correcting the overall budgetary situation, the funding available to my Department following the completion of budgetary process this year does not allow for an increase in the capitation paid to childcare providers. As the economy improves and the public finances recover, I would hope that the capitation rates for all childcare programmes could be improved.

Childcare services in this country are provided by private commercial and community childcare services and the level of remuneration provided to childcare workers is a matter for the individual management of each service. There are currently no national pay scales that provide for the level of pay of childcare workers.

Comments

Mina Walsh
Posted on 10 Feb 2015 7:22 pm (Report this comment)

Private commercial child care services are essentially no longer private as the government sets the fee structure and provide funding accordingly and management in theses services have to pay within this this budget.

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