Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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425. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if consideration will be given to funding structures for ECCE providers to ensure they receive a payment in December 2019 to assist with cash flow; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53823/19]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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My Department must adhere to the Rules concerning Exchequer funding. With this in mind, officials from my Department have reviewed the payment arrangements to services providing my Department’s early learning and care and school age childcare programmes.

Pobal administers the various schemes and issues payments on behalf of my Department. On the 10^thDecember 2019, there was an announcement on Pobal's Programmes Implementation Platform (PIP / IT system), concerning the payment arrangements for Christmas 2019 for all early learning and care and school age childcare services.

An additional ECCE payment will be made on the 20^thDecember 2019, to pay services open during the week beginning the 30^thDecember, up until the 3^rdJanuary 2020.

Due to the above amendment, the first ECCE payment in 2020 will now cover the period 06/01/2020 – 31/01/2020.