Written answers

Tuesday, 9 June 2020

Department of Children and Youth Affairs

Childcare Services

Photo of Jennifer WhitmoreJennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats)
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618. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of persons employed on each childcare committee; the role of each; the way in which their role is changing to reflect the demands of Covid-19; if she envisages them playing a supportive role in the reopening of crèches; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10364/20]

Photo of Katherine ZapponeKatherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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My Department funds 30 City/County Childcare Committees (CCCs) to act as its local agent in the delivery of the national early education and childcare programmes and the implementation of Government policy. The CCCs were assigned by the National Childcare Strategy (2000) as the key local component in the development of a co-ordinated approach to quality childcare and to advance the provision of childcare facilities in their local areas.

The role of the CCCs is to provide support and guidance to local service providers and parents in relation to the various childcare programmes, and support quality in keeping with national frameworks and policy objectives. My Department sets the key objectives and actions for the CCCs on an annual basis, and they are continuing to deliver on this plan of work within the current constraints of the public health emergency.

CCCs are fully engaged on issues arising within the sector, and are responsive in supporting services throughout these unprecedented times. The role of the CCCs during the Covid – 19 emergency is to continue to provide support and offer guidance and advice to services and parents in whatever way is necessary throughout this difficult period. CCCs will play a key role in providing a range of supports to the early learning and care (ELC) and school age childcare (SAC) sector. CCCs will play a critical role in supporting ELC and SAC services with their return to work preparations, specifically in acting as a local hub with a focus on supporting services to reopen safely. My Department will liaise closely with CCCs in respect of their role in this regard.

The following table shows the number of persons employed by each CCC and their roles as of the end 2019. There are a variety of roles within CCCs, including managers/coordinators/CEO, development officers, information officers, administrators, quality officers, and clerical officers. There are also a variety of working patterns across all staff.

CCC Name Full Time Staff Part Time Staff Total Individuals Roles
Carlow County Childcare Committee 3 1 4 1 Manager, 1 Information Officer, 2 Development Officers.
Cavan County Childcare Committee 3 (+ 1 Childminding Development Officer) 2 6 1 Coordinator, 3 Support and Development workers, 1 administrator, 1 Childminding Development Officer.
Clare County Childcare Committee 2 4 6 1 Manager and 5 Development Officers, 2 of which include the role of Office Administrator.
Cork City Childcare Committee 6 1 7 1 Acting Coordinator, 1 Administrator, 1 Finance/ Development Officer, 3 Development Officers, 1 staff member on a temporary posting to DCYA
Cork County Childcare Committee 6 4 10 1 Coordinator, 1 Clerical Officer, 1 training Coordinator, 1 Financial Administrator and 6 Development Workers.
Donegal County Childcare Committee 2 6 8 1 Manager, 2 administration/finance staff, 3-4 Development staff and 1 Communications Officer
Dublin City Childcare Committee 6 6 12 1 Manager, 5 Development Officers across business support and quality, 3 Development Officers, 1 Finance Officer, 1 office manager and 1 Information/Communication lead.
Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Childcare Committee 4 1 5 1 Manager, 3 Development Officers, 1 Office Manager and Office Administrator.
Fingal County Childcare Committee 6 (+ 1 Childminding Development Officer) 2 9 1 Finance/Officer Manager, 1 Finance Officer, 1 Administration Clerk , 1 Operations Manager, 3 Development Officers, 1 Programmes Information Officer, 1 Childminding Development Officer
Galway Childcare Committee 8 1 9 1 Manager, 2 Administration staff and 6 Development Officers.
Kerry County Childcare Committee 4 2 6 1 Acting Manager, 1 Project Administrator, 1 Quality Officer, 1 Support and Development Officer and 1 Development officer with primary responsibility for Child Minding. 1 staff member on a temporary posting to DCYA
Kildare County Childcare Committee 5 3 8 1 CEO, 2 Administration staff, 2 Development Officers, 2 Programme Administrators, 1 Communication Officer
Kilkenny County Childcare Committee 4 0 4 1 Manager, 2 Development Officers and 1 Information Officer/Administrative staff member.
Laois County Childcare Committee 3 0 3 1 Manager, 1 Information Officer, 1 Support and Development worker and 1 Clerical Worker (position vacant)
Leitrim County Childcare Committee 3 1 4 1 Manager , 2 Development Officers and 1 Administrator
Limerick Childcare Committee 8 0 8 1 Coordinator, 3 Development Officers, 1 Administrative Support Worker, 1 Information Officer, and 2 Clerical Officers.
Longford County Childcare Committee 3 2 5 1 Acting Coordinator, 2 Development Officers and 1 Administrator. 1 staff member of a temporary posting to DCYA.
Louth County Childcare Committee 1 6 7 1 Manager, 4 Development Officers and 2 Clerical Officers
Mayo County Childcare Committee 5 0 5 1 Acting Coordinator, 2 Development workers, 1 Administrator and 1 Clerical Officer.
Meath County Childcare Committee 1 9 10 1 Coordinator, 4 Development Officers, 2 Information Officers, 3 Administration staff
Monaghan County Childcare Committee 2 3 5 1 Manager, 1 S&D worker, and 3 Finance and Administration staff.
Offaly County Childcare Committee 0 6 6 1 Manager, 2 Development Officers, 1 Finance & Training and 2 Administration staff
Roscommon County Childcare Committee 2 3 5 1 Manager, and 4 Development Officers
Sligo County Childcare Committee 2 4(+3 P/T Tusla funded) 6 1 Manager, 2 Development Officers, 2 Administrators, 1 receptionist, and a further 3 p/t funded by Tusla.
South Dublin County Childcare Committee 7 1 8 1 Manager, 5 Development Officers, 1 Administrator, and 1 Information Officer
Tipperary Childcare Committee 7 0 7 1 CEO, 1 Deputy CEO, 4 Development Officers and 1 Administrator
Coiste Curam Leanaí Phort Láirge 1 7 8 1 CEO, 5 Development Officers, 2 Administration/Information Officers.
Westmeath County Childcare Committee 4 (+1 Childminding Development Officer) 1 6 1 Manager, 2 Development Officers, 1 Childminding Development Officer, 2 Administration staff
Wexford County Childcare Committee 6 0 6 1 CEO , 3 Development Officers and 2 Administrators
Wicklow County Childcare Committee 3 3 6 1 Manager, 3 Development Officers, 1 Programme and Finance Officer, and 1 Information Officer
Total 197

Photo of Jennifer WhitmoreJennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats)
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619. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if new applicants are also eligible to receive funding in relation to the capital programme for the childcare sector; if funding is only for existing childcare providers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10365/20]

Photo of Katherine ZapponeKatherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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Since 2015 my Department has administered an annual capital funding programme, under which service providers are invited to apply for capital funding to increase the capacity of their services, and to maintain and improve their services. Providers can apply for funding if they are registered with Tusla. Services must register with Tusla before they can open and provide childcare services.

In 2020 I secured €7.2m in capital funding for early learning and care (ELC) and school age childcare (SAC). I launched the application programme for the 2020 Capital Programme on 28 February. I suspended the Capital Programme on 26 March, due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

I am currently reviewing the allocation of the 2020 capital budget and I intend to launch a new capital grant programme in the coming days. Under this new capital grant programme, funds will be made available to enable existing Tusla registered childcare providers to carry out preparatory work in advance of opening. The application process, which will be administered by Pobal, will go live in the coming days. The application process will be user-friendly and simple to use. Providers will receive confirmation of the funding they are to receive before they reopen.

Photo of Jennifer WhitmoreJennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats)
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620. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if areas in which childcare closures are occurring are being mapped; if areas of insufficient provision to meet demand are being tracked; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10366/20]

Photo of Katherine ZapponeKatherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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As the Deputy is aware childcare services were instructed to close on the 12th March and will remain closed until it is deemed safe to re-open by the National Public Health Emergency Team. Currently, the Government’s Roadmap sees Early Learning and Care and School-Age Childcare (ELC and SAC) services, and childminders, opening in phase 3 (29 June).

During this time of extended closure, a small number of services that have indicated their intention to close permanently are being tracked by Pobal’s Case Management team and forwarded to the relevant officials in the Department. In the majority of these cases, the decision to close is unrelated to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Pobal Case Management team are working with Local CCCs to support these services in exploring alternative solutions where possible. However, the final decision on whether a service will close lies with the owner/operator of the service. Where closure is unavoidable, Pobal and the local CCCs will support services with managing an orderly closure and offer assistance to parents with finding alternative ELC/SAC services.

The provision of places within an area is knowledge which is retained by the Local CCC. When a service enters a Case Management process, one of the first pieces of information the Local CCC will gather is an assessment of the available places within the area.

Any service that is considering closure should notify their Local CCC immediately so that support can be provided and local capacity for childcare places can be assessed.

A number of supports were available before COVID to improve the sustainability of services during normal times, and these remain available now. Financial supports are available for community services presenting with sustainability issues following a financial assessment by Pobal. My Department has begun to consider whether this sustainability funding can be extended to private services during the pandemic. Again, all services who require support should contact their local CCC.

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