Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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14. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the discussions and agreement between his Department and the Department of Social Protection on changes and reforms to the community employment programme. [3204/16]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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Under new qualification requirements announced by my Department as part of the Early Years Quality Agenda all staff employed to work directly with children in preschool settings will be required to hold, as a minimum, a Level 5 qualification (or equivalent) in early childhood care and education. This new requirement will apply to all new services registering with the Child and Family Agency after the commencement of new Regulations in this area, and to existing services from 31st December this year. Following the introduction of these changes, only those staff who hold the necessary qualification will be in position to meet the adult:child ratio requirements in early years settings.

Officials from my Department have met with officials from the Department of Social Protection on a number of occasions to consider any impact the qualifications requirement would have on the scheme and on services. We all agree that quality in childcare services is of priority and that the Early Years Quality Agenda must remain the key focus in childcare services. The Community Employment Childcare Programme helps participants to upskill in a supervised environment. Community Childcare Services also benefit from the extra support in the early years setting. However, utilising CE participants as core staff within childcare services adult:child ratios is not best practice for either the Childcare or Community Employment areas.

I am aware that some Community Childcare Services have traditionally relied on Community Employment participants as core staff in their settings and that the new Regulations with the minimum qualification requirement will bring challenges for those services, once commenced. At the request of my Department, City and County Childcare Committees have established a project to examine the impact of these changes on the sustainability of community childcare services that are currently dependent on Community Employment workers to meet the ratio requirements. My Department has advised childcare providers who consider that the sustainability of their service is at risk as a result of this measure to contact their local City or County Childcare Committee immediately to discuss this matter.

There is no issue with Community Employment participants obtaining placement within the childcare services as long as they are not considered core staff members/part of the adult:child ratio.