Kathleen Funchion (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein)
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197. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if there will be an increase in spending on childcare in 2022 in order to move Ireland towards a quality, affordable and sustainable childcare sector for all children. [28678/21]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth provider runs a number of schemes which are available to Early Learning and Care and School Age Childcare services. The schemes are administered by Pobal on behalf of my Department.

In 2021, some €638m has been allocated to such schemes. Since 2017 my department has secured additional €172m in funding for the early learning and care and school age childcare sector, representing an increase of 137%.

First 5: A whole-of-Government strategy for babies, young children and their families was published in 2018 and covers the ten years between 2019-2028. The strategy makes a commitment to increase public investment in high-quality early learning and care and school age childcare for all babies and young children to raise the quality and address the affordability of provision for families, particularly families on low income. By 2028 the level of public investment in early learning and care and school age childcare will be at least double that of the 2018 allocation (€484.8m).

A related commitment in First 5 was to develop and introduce a new funding model for early learning and care and school age childcare that will support improved quality of provision without compromising sustainability for providers or affordability for parents. The recommendations for this funding model are currently being developed.

My Department has made considerable investment in the sector in recent years and I want to preserve the fruits of this investment by ensuring ELC and SAC places are still there for parents after these difficult times.