Written answers

Tuesday, 22 March 2016

Department of Children and Youth Affairs

Early Childhood Care Education

Photo of Martin HeydonMartin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

269. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the progress made on the implementation of supports for children with disabilities at preschool level; the way in which and when parents can apply for such supports for September 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4953/16]

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

I have been conscious for some time of the difficulty experienced by some children with a disability in accessing and benefitting fully from the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Programme. With this in mind, an Inter-Departmental Group, led by this Department, was established with a brief to bring forward recommendations to address this issue.

The Group concluded its work and its recommendations were fully accepted and funded by Government. I announced, as part of Budget 2016, the necessary funding to implement the new model. The work of this Group has identified a practical, workable model for meeting the needs of children with a disability. The model, when fully operational, will deliver seven levels of support to enable the full inclusion and meaningful participation of children with disabilities in the ECCE Programme. These are:-

- An Inclusive Culture: includes training dedicated Inclusion Co-ordinatorsin pre-schools, and a small capitation increase for particular childcare services to support fully inclusive practice;

-Information for Parents and Providers:includes development of a national website and information packs for parents and providers;

-A Qualified and Confident Workforce:resourcing formal and informal training for early years practitioners to support more inclusive provision;

-Expert Educational Advice & Support:enhancing the Better StartEarly Years Specialist Service so that practitioners have prompt access to advice and support from experts in early years education for children with disabilities;

-Equipment, Appliances and Minor Alterations:capital grants to fund specialised equipment, appliances, assistive technology, or minor building alterations so that children with disabilities can participate in pre-school;

-Therapeutic Intervention:additional resources to enable access to HSE therapeutic services, where these are needed to allow a child enrol, and fully participate in, pre-school.

- Additional Assistance:where the supports available at levels 1-6 are not sufficient to meet a child’s needs, additional capitation can be made available to childcare providers to support the pre-school leader to ensure children’s full participation. This could include, for example, buying in additional support, or, in particular circumstances, reducing the staff:child ratio.

Two groups have been established to oversee and implement the new model; a Cross Sectorial Implementation Group will oversee and monitor implementation, while the second group, the Project Group, will implement the model for roll-out by September 2016. Further details are expected to be available in June this year and it is expected that children will begin to benefit from these measures from September 2016.

Separately, the ECCE programme includes an exemption from the upper age limit for qualification where children, including children with a disability, would benefit from starting primary school at a later age. The City and County Childcare Committees continue to provide information and support for parents, on some occasions assisting to access supports locally and providing training for early years providers.

There is no additional funding available to this Department to support the employment of special needs assistants in pre-school services in this school year. As you are aware the HSE does, on an ad hoc basis, make some supports available and it is expected that these arrangements will continue until the new model has been established.

Photo of Brendan GriffinBrendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

270. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs when he will make the next round of capital funding available for applications from community child care facilities to build new centres such as one in County Kerry (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5014/16]

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

Capital funding of more than €420 million was provided by the State to support the development of childcare infrastructure in the period up until 2008. The greater proportion of this funding was allocated for the development of community childcare services throughout the country. Since the economic downturn the limited funding available to this Department has been targeted to support the refurbishment and maintenance of childcare facilities in which there has already considerable investment.

I announced the introduction of an Early Years Capital Programme 2016 with total funding of €4 million available. This funding is targeted at early years pre-school providers that are making alterations to their services to accommodate the increased numbers of children eligible for the free pre-school provision following my decision to expand the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme. The number of children availing of the programme will increase from approximately 67,000 per year to 127,000 per year following the full roll out of the expanded pre-school provision.

The maximum grant available under the programme is €10,000 and full information and application details will be available shortly. I am aware that this funding would not be sufficient for the purchase or development of new childcare facilities but there is no other capital funding available to the Department at this time.

Comments

No comments

Log in or join to post a public comment.