Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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50. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if the necessary capacity exists within the preschool sector in 2018 to provide a space for all those that want a place in County Cork in view of the entitlement to the early childhood care and education scheme will increase from 61 to 76 weeks; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50191/17]

Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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62. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the demand for places under the early childhood care and education scheme in County Cork; the way in which deficits will be addressed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50192/17]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 50 and 62 together.

My Department has conducted an analysis of ECCE capacity and is satisfied that there will be no shortfall in ECCE places for the 2017-2018 programme year. ECCE providers have catered for over 120,000 children for this programme year and while there can be pressures in some immediate localities; all eligible children have been catered for. We are working closely with the local CCC’s and to date there is no reported shortage of places in County Cork.

Further, from September 2018, the ECCE Programme will revert to one single entry point in a given ECCE Programme Year (i.e. September) with eligible children entitled to two full years of ECCE provision. From September 2018, the number of ECCE enrolments in any given year will be around 114,000. Given that 120,000 places were filled in April 2017, there should be no capacity issues for the 114,000 expected to register for ECCE, for as long as 2 years, from September 2018.

Towards assisting in alleviating pressures with regard to availability of ECCE places in certain areas, my Department provided €8.4 million for its 2017 Early Years Capital funding programme. This represents a doubling of the €4m provided under the 2016 Early Years Capital.