Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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518. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if English as a second language students in a school (details supplied) can benefit from a lower ratio setting. [7934/21]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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All early learning and care (ELC) and school-age childcare (SAC) service providers are obliged to comply with the relevant Regulations. Services are required to operate within regulatory minimum adult-child ratios as set out in the Child Care Act 1991 (Early Years Services) Regulations 2016 and the Child Care Act 1991 (Early Years Services) (Registration of School Age Services) Regulations 2018. The ratios are the minimum number of adults required to supervise, care for and work directly with the children in the service. Once the minimum requirement is adhered to a service may choose to operate at different ratios (e.g. for school age children the ratio is 1 : 12 so a service can allocate no more than 12 children to one adult but they may allocate fewer children if they wish).

Section 14 of the Childcare Support Act 2018 makes special provision for vulnerable children. This Sponsorship arrangement available within the National Childcare Scheme (NCS) offers additional supports for families with complex needs. The NCS will pay the full cost of the childcare for families referred to the Scheme by a sponsor body up to a maximum of €193.95 – €264.15 depending on the age of the child and the hours needed. Sponsored children can qualify for up to 45 hours of childcare per week. The same rates are paid in respect of sponsorship by all of the Sponsor Bodies. The sponsor rates are 15% above the rates set for non-Sponsor NCS awards.

Sponsor

The latest available Early Years Sector Profile fees data indicates that the national average ELC/SAC fees charged for full day care are €195.51 for 0-1 year olds, €189.68 for 1-2 year olds, €186.01 for 2-3 year olds, €184.39 for 3-4 year olds, €183.43 for 4-5 year olds, and €169.64 for 5-6 year olds.

As indicated by the table above, the rates paid for sponsored children under the NCS are higher than the national average fees charged by ELC/SAC providers.

The need for a sponsored referral is a determination for the relevant Sponsor Body and one they make based on the particular need of the child in line with their defined criteria as set out in the Childcare Support Act 2018.

Finally, it is important to note that the primary purpose of School Age Childcare is to provide care for children where their parents are unavailable. While there may be an educational element to the service, this is secondary to the care objective.