Kathleen Funchion (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein)
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655. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if recommendations in her Department's sustainability audits of community services recommend that services cut pay to child care staff; and if so, the capacity in which, the amount involved and the circumstances in which this was decided. [24120/17]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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The Deputy refers to sustainability audits of community services and recommendations. I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department is unaware of the sustainability audits to which the Deputy refers. Perhaps the Deputy is referring to the initiative taken by the sector of commissioning and completing research highlighting the challenges that they face. This is a complex issue; and in 2017 I have instructed my officials to move to tackle the most urgent issues first, designing a new model of eligibility for families - the Affordable Childcare Scheme, tackling the CE scheme issue, and providing funding for ‘non-contact time’ for the first time.  I remain committed to tackling sustainability issues in the sector and my officials, together with Pobal and CCCs, are working with community services to understand the sustainability challenges that the sector faces.

Community childcare facilities are important partners in the delivery of affordable, accessible, high quality childcare. The majority of community childcare services are operating well and have been able to manage issues they face within the structures available, including by availing of support from County and City Childcare Committees, Pobal and my Department.

Most recently, I announced a substantial increase and expansion of the Community Childcare Subvention programme from September 2017, which will provide significant additional funding to families but also to services. In addition, Strand Two of the 2017 Early Years Capital programme, which closed for application on April 27th, made €500,000 available in grants of up to €20,000 to community services who are seeking to make building improvements or undertake maintenance or refurbishment. These applications are currently being assessed, and I anticipate recommendations on funding in the coming weeks.

I have also taken steps to provide payment to community services for ‘non-contact time’ for the first time, and this will be available in summer 2017. A total of €14.5 million is available across community and private services.

The Deputy will be aware of the challenges faced by a small number of community services who have been facilitating the training of Community Employment participants. I made €1m in funding available to services that identified themselves as having difficulties in this regard. The funding will ensure that regulatory changes do not hinder service delivery or the availability of childcare places. I will also be considering how this funding can best be deployed in 2018 to address the most urgent challenges facing childcare services.

In the longer term, the Independent Review of the Cost of Quality Childcare, which will be commissioned later this year, will include consideration of factors that affect the financial viability of the childcare sector. The review is likely to examine issues such as the total average cost of provision; costs and revenues for services operating in disadvantaged communities; and sustainability issues. The review will inform future policy development and the Estimates process.

My priority is to ensure we provide access to high quality and affordable childcare. I am committed to doing all I can to continue to attract the necessary investment to deliver on this objective.