Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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274. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will publish an interim report on her Department's sustainability and cost review of the early years sector. [20646/18]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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The Independent Review of the Cost of Providing Quality Childcare is a critical input to the on-going reform of childcare in Ireland and is commitment in the Programme for Government.

This Review seeks to:

- Analyse the current costs of providing childcare in Ireland and factors that impact on those costs;

- Develop a model of the unit cost/costs of providing childcare that allows analysis of policy changes and variation in cost-drivers, including the potential impact of increased professionalisation; and

- Provide an objective, high level market analysis of the childcare sector in Ireland, including analysis of fee levels charged to parents.

The contract to undertake this Review was awarded to Crowe Horwath in September 2017. Since then, a literature review, stakeholder engagement and an online survey has been completed. The closing date for receipt of completed surveys was 13th April. Over 800 completed surveys were received and analysis of these data has commenced.

Once data analysis is completed, the results will feed into the development of a cost model and cost calculator for childcare provision.

A report from this Review is expected in late June 2018.  It is intended to publish this report thereafter.