John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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226. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her views on the issues raised by a cross county community childcare forum regarding its concerns relative to the childcare and aftercare compliance reports for 2018 and 2019; her plans to deal with the inability of the group to re-register up to 49 children in its crèche and after-school care services due to the compliance reports; if the solutions put forward by the forum will be considered and funding provided when needed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8774/19]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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Assisting families to access high quality, affordable early learning and care and school age childcare is a priority for me as Minister and hence I take these issues raised in your question very seriously.

My Department funds a number of early learning and care and school age childcare programmes. Given the large amount of public money that is used in funding these programmes, there needs to be an appropriate level of oversight and accountability. The Department of Children and Youth Affairs believes that our approach to compliance and supporting services strikes the right balance. Our approach involves setting out the rules for the receipt of State funding, supporting providers to deliver services, and at the same time, the approach offers assurances to the taxpayer that the funding assigned is being spent as it was intended.

A high level of compliance with the rules of the various childcare schemes is vital to maintaining existing investment as well as ensuring future investment. It is a requirement that services operating the early learning and care programmes funded by my Department must be compliant with the ‘Rules for DCYA childcare funding programmes’ , the most recent of which was published on 9^thAugust 2018. These Rules clearly state the need to maintain attendance records and keep registrations updated in line with attendance. Compliance with these Rules is overseen by Pobal on behalf of my Department. Because subsidies for the early learning and care programmes are paid based on attendance (and not just enrolment), this is a vital governance component of the funding for which my Department is responsible.

I appreciate that community childcare settings, such as those referenced, provide a valuable service to children and families across the country and may face a variety of challenges to their sustainability. However, significant support is available to them to bring their service onto a more sustainable footing, whilst being necessarily compliant with the scheme rules. My Department oversees an integrated Case Management system operated by Pobal through which a dedicated team assesses services facing challenges. This Case Management service provides non-financial assistance or support. Financial supports are also available for services facing certain challenges which may also be accessed through Case Management following a financial assessment.

Results from Pobal compliance visits for the first part of the programme year 2018/2019 show issues in relation to non-compliance which needs to be addressed as a matter of urgency. I am encouraged however that most services have engaged constructively with the process so far. I would recommend all other services to get in contact with Pobal or their local City / County Childcare Committee if they need support or advice, particularly in relation to the re-registration issues you reference.

With regard to the particular service the Deputy referred to, I understand that they the are meeting with Pobal representatives this week and I would expect that the matter can be resolved then. It is open to the service to register children on CCSP at any time in the programme year.

The Deputy will be aware that investment in childcare has increased by 117% over the last four budgets, now totalling €575m per year. Community services access much of this growing investment. The Affordable Childcare Scheme, which will be introduced later this year, will mark another significant milestone, creating an infrastructure from which Government can further increase investment in services over the next decade, This is in line with the commitment made in First 5, the Whole of Government Strategy for Babies , Young Children and their Families, I published last November.