Brendan Griffin (Kerry South, Fine Gael)
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373. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs his views on a matter (details supplied) regarding the early childhood sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5572/15]

Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent)
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384. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs his views on the recommendations contained in correspondence (details supplied) regarding the early childhood sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5919/15]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 373 and 384 together.

I am aware of the relatively high cost of child care in this country and to help address the issue my Department supports a number of childcare programmes that assist parents in accessing quality and affordable childcare. These programmes are, of course, in addition to the support provided to all parents in the form of Child Benefit, which is a key Government support to help families with ongoing costs.

The support programmes implemented by my Department include the free pre-school year provided under the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme, the Community Childcare Subvention (CCS) programme which provides support to low income and disadvantaged families, the Childcare Education and Training Programme (CETS) providing support to Solas and Education Training Board students and trainees, the Community Employment Childcare that supports Community Employment workers and the Afterschool Childcare Programme (ASCC) which provides childcare supports to eligible parents returning to work.

The above programmes represents an annual investment of approximately €260 million and provides support each year to more that 100,000 children. Despite the difficult budgetary situation in recent years this funding has been maintained. My Department will continue to fund the childcare support programmes, with an emphasis on improving the quality of the services provided, and as funding becomes available I would hope that the capitation rates for all programmes could be increased to provide further support.

To ensure that all the benefits of childcare investments are fully realised, future public investment in childcare must be evidence-based and strategically coordinated, I am establishing a cross-departmental group to look at the provision right across the 0 to 6 age group as well as to consider the after-school needs of older school-going children. It is crucial that we develop a coherent whole-of-Government approach to investment in childcare services.This new group will include representatives of the Departments of Education and Skills, Social Protection, Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Public Expenditure and Reform, Finance and the Department of the Taoiseach and will be led and supported by my Department.

Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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374. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the position regarding increasing early childhood capitation funding and linking this to a nationally agreed pay scale; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5574/15]

Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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375. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if he will introduce mechanisms to ensure that children with additional needs have the support they need to engage fully as equals in their early childhood education setting; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5575/15]

Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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376. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if he will ensure that provisions of child free hours and CPED days are part of all Government funded schemes, which will enable those working in the sector to fully implement the national curriculum and quality frameworks; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5577/15]

Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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377. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs his views on raising the level of spending of 0.2% of gross domestic product to the European average of 0.7% on early childhood education; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5639/15]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 374 to 377, inclusive, together.

I am aware of the relatively high cost of child care in this country and to help address the issue my Department supports a number of child care programmes that assist parents in accessing quality and affordable child care. These programmes are, of course, in addition to the support provided to all parents in the form of child benefit, which is a key Government support to help families with ongoing costs.

The support programmes implemented by my Department include the free pre-school year provided under the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme, the Community Childcare Subvention (CCS) programme which provides support to low income and disadvantaged families, the Childcare Education and Training Programme (CETS) providing support to Solas and Education Training Board students and trainees, the Community Employment Childcare that supports Community Employment workers and the Afterschool Childcare Programme (ASCC) which provides childcare supports to eligible parents returning to work.

The above programmes represents an annual investment of approximately €260 million and provides support each year to more that 100,000 children. Despite the difficult budgetary situation in recent years this funding has been maintained. My Department will continue to fund the childcare support programmes, with an emphasis on improving the quality of the services provided, and as funding becomes available I would hope that the capitation rates for all programmes could be increased to provide further support.

To ensure that all the benefits of childcare investments are fully realised, future public investment in childcare must be evidence-based and strategically coordinated, I am establishing a cross-departmental group to look at the provision right across the 0 to 6 age group as well as to consider the after-school needs of older school-going children. It is crucial that we develop a coherent whole-of-Government approach to investment in childcare services.This new group will include representatives of the Departments of Education and Skills, Social Protection, Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Public Expenditure and Reform, Finance and the Department of the Taoiseach and will be led and supported by my Department.

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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378. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs his plans to increase early childhood capitation funding and link to nationally agreed pay-scales; his plans to introduce mechanisms to ensure that children with additional needs have the supports they need to engage fully, as equals, in their early childhood education setting; if he will provide child-free hours and CPD days as part of all Government funded schemes, to enable those working in the sector to implement fully the national curriculum and quality frameworks; if he will raise the current level of spending of 0.2% of Gross Domestic Product in view of early childhood funding, that has been shown to be very beneficial; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5822/15]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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I am aware of the relatively high cost of child care in this country and to help address the issue my Department supports a number of child care programmes that assist parents in accessing quality and affordable child care. These programmes are, of course, in addition to the support provided to all parents in the form of child benefit, which is a key Government support to help families with ongoing costs.

The support programmes implemented by my Department include the free pre-school year provided under the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme, the Community Childcare Subvention (CCS) programme which provides support to low income and disadvantaged families, the Childcare Education and Training Programme (CETS) providing support to Solas and Education Training Board students and trainees, the Community Employment Childcare that supports Community Employment workers and the Afterschool Childcare Programme (ASCC) which provides childcare supports to eligible parents returning to work.

The aforementioned programmes represents an annual investment of approximately €260 million and provides support each year to more that 100,000 children. Despite the difficult budgetary situation in recent years this funding has been maintained. My Department will continue to fund the childcare support programmes, with an emphasis on improving the quality of the services provided, and as funding becomes available I would hope that the capitation rates for all programmes could be increased to provide further support.

To ensure that all the benefits of childcare investments are fully realised, future public investment in childcare must be evidence-based and strategically coordinated, I am establishing a cross-Departmental group to look at the provision right across the 0 to 6 age group as well as to consider the after-school needs of older school-going children. It is crucial that we develop a coherent whole-of-Government approach to investment in childcare services. This new group will include representatives of the Departments of Education and Skills, Social Protection, Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Public Expenditure and Reform, Finance and the Department of the Taoiseach and will be led and supported by my Department.