Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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238. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will consider the issues raised in correspondence (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52244/17]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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The Department of Children and Youth Affairs invests significant resources in the early years sector. In the last three Budgets (2016, 2017 and 2018) investment in Early Years sector has increased by some 87% which reflects the emphasis being placed on developing a quality service with appropriately supported staff. This has helped to address affordability, access and quality, although it is recognised that there is more to be done. Budget 2018 announced an extension of the universal provision of the ECCE scheme accompanied by increases in capitation rates, both standard and higher, by 7% particularly aimed at supporting the workforce.

Budget 2018 also announced €18 million in Programme Support Payments in 2018 will be provided to Early Years services to assist with non-contact costs. Programme Support Payments, previously known as non-contact time payments, are now fully secured and will be available again in 2018 and thereafter. €14.5m was originally secured in Budget 2017, and this was topped up by €3.5m this summer for services who signed up to the September measures. The latter was provided however on a one-off basis. The full allocation of €18 million is now in the early years funding base going forward.

The Programme for Government commits to carrying out an independent review of the cost of providing quality childcare. The 'Independent Review of the Cost of Delivering Quality Childcare' which will be carried out by Crowe Horwath, will examine the costs faced by childcare providers in delivering quality childcare and will include a survey of childcare providers. Following completion the review is intended to be used to strengthen the evidence base underpinning investment in early years. As such, it will feed into future policy development, including in relation to levels of payments to services.

In October 2016 Government approved policy proposals for the Affordable Childcare Scheme (ACS). ACS will provide a new basis for funding childcare with both universal and targeted subsidies available for parents of children between six months and age 15. The scheme will streamline the existing targeted schemes to make them more accessible for both parents and providers; provide a fair and consistent system of progressive financial support towards the cost of childcare; and provide a robust and flexible platform for future investment in childcare in Ireland.

In the interim, a range of measures have been introduced in September to increase investment in childcare. The ‘September measures’ relate to the introduction of the Community Childcare Subvention Universal (CCSU) payment and the increase in band rates across the different strands of the Community Childcare Subvention (CCS) Scheme and the Training and Employment Childcare (TEC) Scheme. As part of these 'September measures', a universal subsidy is available for all children aged between 6 months and 3 years of age (or until they qualify for ECCE if later than 36 months) in registered childcare. This amounts to up to €20 a week or €1,040 per year for children in full time childcare.

Although my Department has been successful in securing additional funding for this sector over the past three budgets, as outlined above, it is acknowledged that much more must be done to continue to improve both the affordability and quality of childcare. To this end I will continue to engage with Government colleagues with a view to securing additional investment for the Early Years sector in future budgets. Childcare workers are part of a growing sector, which the Government is strongly supporting. My Department and I believe that by working together with all the stakeholders in the Early Years sector we can ensure that it is a viable and strong sector which makes a significant contribution to the care and personal development of our children. I am committed to ensuring childcare is affordable, accessible and of a high quality.

In response to the second part of the Deputy's question, while the early childhood education and care sector is largely funded and regulated by my Department (DCYA), the Department of Education and Skills (DES) plays an important role in the development and implementation of the two national practice frameworks, Síolta and Aistear.  DES also supports and advises DCYA on qualifications and workforce development and is in the process of conducting a review of education and training programmes for early years practitioners.  DES, with its agencies, works to ensure that there is a smooth transition for children from pre-school into the primary school sector and also supports DCYA in the implementation of AIM.  On my behalf, the Department of Education and Skills has put in place early years education-focused inspections which inspect the educational provision in the ECCE programme.  However, beyond the promotion of this alignment and support for quality, there is no plan to further integrate the schools sector, statutory provision for which lies with the Minister for Education & Skills, with the formal ECEC sector which is my responsibility as Minister for Children and Youth Affairs.