Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick, Fine Gael)
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161. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the amounts paid to preschool providers for carrying out the administration work for the free preschool year in 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38741/15]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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The Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme, which represents an annual investment of more than €170 million, is funded by my Department through capitation grants paid directly to participating pre-school providers. This capitation payment is for the provision of the ECCE programme, including preparatory and supportive work such as engagement with parents.

The standard capitation fee paid to participating pre-school providers is €62.50 per week per eligible child. A higher capitation fee of €73 per week per eligible child is available to pre-school providers with more highly qualified staff. I announced in Budget 2016 my decision to restore the capitation payments to pre-2012 levels with effect from September 2016. This will bring the standard capitation fee to €64.50 per week for each eligible child and the higher capitation fee to €75 per week for each eligible child.

There are in the region of 4,300 pre-school providers participating in the ECCE programme with new services applying to enter the programme each year. The funding provided under the programme is a guaranteed source of income, paid in advance, and is an important support to the early years sector. I also announced in Budget 2016 an expanded provision under the ECCE programme, with effect from September 2016, which will allow children to access free pre-school provision from the time they are 3 years of age until they make the transition to primary school. When the expanded provision is fully implemented, the numbers of children availing of the programme each year will increase by almost 60,000 from current levels. This increased demand for pre-school places will assist many services throughout the country that are reporting high levels of vacancies to fill those places.

The new capitation rates will provide annual funding of €2,451 for each child enrolled in pre-school services that are in receipt of the standard capitation fee and €2,850 for those children in pre-school services in receipt of the higher capitation fee. There are currently no plans to further increase the capitation rates.

Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick, Fine Gael)
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162. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the grant schemes available for preschool providers; if there are categories of grants which private providers of preschool education are not eligible to apply for; the reason private providers are not entitled to apply; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38742/15]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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My Department currently provides funding of more than a quarter of a billion euro annually to support the implementation of a number of childcare support programmes that assist parents in accessing quality childcare. These childcare support programmes include the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme; three Training and Employment Childcare (TEC) programmes (i.e. Childcare Education and Training programme (CETS), Community Employment Childcare (CEC) programme and After-school Childcare (ASCC) programme) and the Community Childcare Subvention (CCS) programme. The ECCE programme and the TEC programmes are provided through both private and community/ not-for-profit services while the CCS programme is currently provided through community/ not-for-profit services only.

In Budget 2016, I announced an €85 million package of additional investment for childcare. This includes funding for:

- An extension to the ECCE programme, which will now allow children to avail of the free pre-school provision from age three until they make the transition to primary school;

- A suite of supports, which will ensure children with a disability can meaningfully participate in, and fully reap the benefits of the ECCE programme;

- An extension of the CCS programme by up to 8,000 places and, for the first time, making this programme available through private service throughout the country; and

- A resource which will allow important work to commence on consolidating existing targeted childcare support programmes, including the CCS and TEC programmes. It is envisaged that a new simplified targeted childcare support programme will be available through private and community/ not-for-profit and private services from 2017.

My Department also provides funding under the Annual Early Years Capital Programme.

- In 2012, capital funding of €6m was provided to fund a maintenance programme for services (i.e. to address remedial, maintenance and renovation work and to purchase equipment). This funding, which provided grants up to a maximum of €50,000, was available to private and community/ not-for-profit services.

- In 2013, capital funding of €2.75m was provided to support the on-going improvement of services. Both private and community/not-for-profit services participating in one of the national childcare programmes implemented by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs were eligible to apply for a grant under the Programme.

- In 2014, capital funding of €2.5 million for the maintenance and upgrade of community/not-for-profit services. The objective of this funding was to ensure that previously-funded community/not-for-profit services remained fit-for-purpose thus protecting State investment.

- In 2015, capital funding of €7 million was provided. Of this funding, €5 million was made available for grants specifically for community/not-for-profit services. This funding provided for the allocation of capital grant aid in the region of €500,000 for significant upgrades of services such as major refurbishment or relocation to new premises. Grants of up to €50,000 for essential maintenance, or works undertaken to improve the energy performance of community/not-for-profit services were also provided. The remaining €2 million was made available for both private and community/not-for-profit services to access grants of up to €500 for quality improvement measures, specifically in the area of upgrading IT facilities.

Funding will also be provided in 2016 as part of the Early Years Capital Programme. I am currently considered how best this funding can be targeted.

Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick, Fine Gael)
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163. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the consultation with representatives of preschool providers, in advance of the decision to proceed with the second year of free preschool; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38747/15]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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At present, the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme covers children who have reached the age of 3 years and 2 months by 1st September of the relevant year. From September 2016, I am expanding the ECCE programme to allow children to access free pre-school from the time they are 3 years of age until they start primary school.

This extended free pre-school provision was first recommended by the Expert Advisory Group on the Early Years Strategy in 2013. It was also one of a series of recommendations of the recent Inter-Departmental Group on Future Investment in Childcare which I established in January last. The Group consulted widely with a range of stakeholders, including the early years sector, during the course of its work through an Open Policy Debate and two online consultation processes, the reports of which are available on my Department's website. The recommendation was included in the Report of the Inter-Departmental Group, which I published in July this to facilitate a further debate on how best to meet the needs of parents and children.

I have recently met with senior representatives from the early years sector to discuss this and other improvements that were announced as part of the €85 million investment package in Budget 2016. The meeting was positive and constructive, with all parties expressing commitment to work together on the issues of capacity and high quality pre-school provision. My Department will be working closely with the early years sector to build capacity in time for the intakes in September 2016, and for subsequent increased availability in January and April 2017.