Written answers

Tuesday, 10 July 2018

Department of Children and Youth Affairs

Early Childhood Care and Education Expenditure

Photo of Denise MitchellDenise Mitchell (Dublin Bay North, Sinn Fein)
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837. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the estimated cost of increasing the higher and lower capitation grants under the ECCE scheme by €5, €10, €15 and €20, respectively; and the further estimated cost of extending its duration by 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12 weeks, respectively in tabular form. [30696/18]

Photo of Katherine ZapponeKatherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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Officials from my Department have based the below calculations on the capitation levels that will exist from September this year when the 7% increase in ECCE capitation promised in Budget 2018 will come into effect.

The estimates are based on the Department’s forecasted level of registrations in the 2018/19 academic year of 114,000 children.

The September 2018 estimated cost of ECCE is €309.7m. Each additional two weeks of ECCE, at September 2018 capitation rates, would cost €16.3m.

The additional cost of the maximum scenario presented in the question (an additional 12 weeks at an increase of €20 capitation per child per week) would be €207m.

The table below, Table A, describes what the September 2018 capitation is per child, per week, and what it would change to with €5, €10,  €15 and €20 increases. (The final blended rate is used for calculations in the final table, Table B.)

Existing/Sept 2018

Capitation Rate

Proposed increase in capitation rates

€5
Proposed increase in capitation rates

€10
Proposed increase in capitation rates

€15
Proposed increase in capitation rates

€20
Standard Cap€69€74€79€84€89
Higher Cap€80.25€85.25€90.25€95.25€100.25
Blended rate€74.40€79.40€84.40€89.40€94.40

The following table, Table B, sets out the cost of the four proposed enhanced capitation levels, together with the costs for additional weeks.

Table B

Plus 2 weeks Plus 4  Plus 6  Plus 8  Plus 10

Plus 12

Weeks per year38404244464850


7% increase w.e.f. Sept



€309.7m€326m€342.3m€358.6m€374.9m€391.2m€407.5m
Additional €5

(using blended rate for all scenarios)
€330.5m€347.9m€365.3€382.7€400.1€  417.5€434.9
Additional €10€351.3m€369.8€388.3€406.8€425.3€  443.8€462.3
Additional €15€372.2m€391.7€411.3€430.9€457.5€  470€489.6
Additional €20€393m€413.7€434.3€455€475.7€  496.3€517

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