Kathleen Funchion (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein)
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802. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the funding being allocated to the childcare sustainability fund; and the breakdown of the spend for the new sustainability fund announced 24 July 2020. [21192/20]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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The COVID-19 Sustainability Support grant will be available to early learning and childcare services where there is a demonstrated decline in occupancy and/or a verified increase in costs due to COVID-19 that is not addressed by the significant financial measures provided to the sector under the July stimulus package and previous initiatives.

€2 million has been allocated for the scheme. This is in addition to resumed funding for all DCYA childcare schemes. It is also in addition to the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme which funds an average of 38% of providers' costs; the Capital Grant Scheme; and the Reopening Support Grant. Collectively from July through to the end of the year, these measures will amount to €375m in Government funding.

In the next few weeks, further details on eligibility for the Sustainability Scheme will be made available. Updates on take-up of the scheme and the breakdown of spend will be provided as the scheme proceeds over the following months.

As the detail of the scheme is being finalised, my officials and I continue to meet regularly with representatives of the sector. These meetings are used to keep the sector and the Department updated on progress across a number of initiatives and to enable the sector's feedback inform future developments.

Seán Haughey (Dublin Bay North, Fianna Fail)
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803. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if measures will be introduced to encourage primary and post-primary schools to provide preschool and post-school childcare facilities. [21219/20]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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Expert guidance on the safe reopening of Early Learning and Care (ELC) and School Age Childcare (SAC) services during the COVID-19 pandemic has been published by the HSE Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC). The updated Guidance from the HPSC includes advice on the safe interaction between schools and school-age childcare facilities where children attend both.

In relation to the operation of childcare services on school premises, officials in my Department have been in contact with colleagues in the Department of Education and Skills. The Department of Education and Skills have advised that the use of school facilities lies with the relevant school authority in consultation with the property owner, and that priority should be given to the interests of the school, teachers and pupils. The Department of Education and Skills’ policy is to encourage the use of school facilities, where possible, for community, training and education-related activities.

To assist schools in considering applications for use of their facilities, the Department of Education and Skills in consultation with representatives of schools has drafted guidelines on the use of school property outside of school hours which is available here:

www.education.ie/en/Publications/Policy-Reports/guidelines-on-the-use-of-school-buildings-outside-of-school-hours.pdf.

These guidelines are not intended to be exhaustive or prescriptive but are provided to assist schools in considering applications for the use of their facilities.

The use of school facilities should be managed at local level between the early learning and care or school-age childcare service provider and the school.