Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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380. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the yearly cost of increasing the capitation rates paid to ECCE childcare providers by 1%, 2%, 3%, 4%, 5%, 6%, 7%, 8%, 9% and 10% respectively, in tabular form. [19098/17]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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The actual cost of this proposal would be subject to a number of factors including actual levels of participation, and the number of children subvented at the 'higher capitation' rate- costs increase as the number of higher qualified staff increase. At current levels of uptake and capitation rates the cost per 1 percent increase would be approximately €2.8m; taking all at the higher capitation rate, this would approach €3m

Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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381. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the annual cost of increasing the number of ECCE weeks to 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49 and 50 respectively. [19105/17]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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When introduced, the ECCE scheme provided free-preschool for 38 weeks of the year, the 38 weeks broadly mirrored the primary school academic year. When ECCE was expanded as a result of Budget 2016, it enabled all children to attend ECCE from the age of three, entering at one of three entry points after their third birthday, September, January or April, and remain there until they started in primary school, with the exception that they could not be more than 5 years and 6 months when they finished ECCE in June. This followed a recommendation from the Expert Group "Right from the Start".

Using the current levels of enrolment and uptake the following estimates would apply. In general the cost is slightly in excess of €7.5m per week added.

It should be noted that this question only addresses the financial aspect of such increases. Any such changes would require revision of rules around eligibility and enrolment dates and would need to look at issues of capacity with regard to physical space, staffing capacities and other associated matters.