Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

20. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs his views on the adequacy of the learner fund in assisting providers to train staff for the free preschool year to meet the new child care qualification requirements under the revised preschool regulations; and if it is his view that the current capitation grant to preschools is adequate for these providers to pay their care staff a professional wage. [20400/15]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

My Department is currently progressing the Early Years Quality Agenda with the objective of improving the quality of childcare services available to young children. As part of this process, all staff working directly with children in pre-school services will be required to hold a major award in early childhood care and education at Level 5 on the National Framework of Qualifications, or the equivalent. This minimum qualification will be a requirement under the revised Childcare Regulations and, when commenced, staff who wish to continue in employment in the childcare sector must satisfy this new qualification requirement.

Specific funding of €3 million has been provided in 2014/15 under the Learner Fund to assist staff already working in the childcare sector to meet these new childcare qualification requirements. I understand that all eligible applicants were approved for funding and that in the region of 2,500 childcare staff are now being supported to meet the new qualification requirements.

To deliver the free pre-school year, a standard capitation fee of €62.50 per week per eligible child is paid to participating early years services. A higher capitation fee of €73 per week is paid per eligible child to services with more highly qualified staff. These capitation payments are paid to services in advance of, and during, each school term.

In 2012, it was necessary to reduce the level of capitation provided under the Early Childhood Care and Education Programme in order to ensure that the Department's spending remained within the restricted limits set by Government following the severe downturn in the economy. Despite the downturn and the difficult budgetary situation, the Government did maintain the pre-school year on a universal and free basis and, importantly, the number of early years services participating in the Programme, at approximately 4,200, remained consistent. The funding provided under the Early Childhood Care and Education Programme to these services was a guaranteed source of income at that time and ensured that early years services were able to continue to deliver services at a time when the demand for childcare had fallen considerably.

The restoration of capitation payments to pre-2012 levels would improve margins for providers. However, this would cost in the region of €5 million annually. While we have made very considerable progress in correcting the overall budgetary situation, the revenues generated by the improving economy has not yet provided the funding necessary for my Department to increase the current capitation payments. I have indicated previously that, if sufficient resources become available to my Department, I will consider the scope for this.

Indeed, this will be one of a number of options that will be considered by the Inter-Departmental Group on Future Investment in Early Years and After-School Care and Education, which I established in February this year. This Inter-Departmental Group, which is tasked with setting out a range of options for current and future investment, will consider options to enhance affordability, options to increase the accessibility of provision and options to build the quality of provision and support the sustainability of the early years sector. The Group is expected to submit a series of recommendations to Government in June 2015.