Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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48. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will outline the effectiveness of supports provided to early years childcare during the pandemic; the planned continued supports for same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28677/21]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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Since the onset of Covid-19, my Department has put in place a range of supports for Early Learning and Care and School Age Childcare (ELC/SAC) services. The objective of these supports have been to:

- support providers’ sustainability to enable services return to normal once restrictions were lifted;

- support providers to retain their staff;

- ensure that ELC/SAC could reopen and remain open, even at very low levels of occupancy;

- ensure that ELC/SAC could operate safely for children, families and staff;

- ensure that increased costs associated with public health requirements, and lower demand / occupancy were not passed on to parents;

- achieve administrative efficiency through the continued use of existing funding schemes and other whole of economy supports; and

- protect exchequer investment.

Supports include the continuation of DCEDIY subsidy schemes on an ex-gratia basis (12 March – 5 April 2020); the Temporary Wage Subsidy Childcare Scheme (6 April – 28 June 2020); the Reopening Funding Package (29 June – 23 August 2020), the July Stimulus Package that included the EWSS and a Sustainability Fund (from 24 August to end December 2020) and tailored funding arrangements to respond to Level 5 restrictions in the post-Christmas period, that included a new Covid-19 Operating Support Payment and a new Covid-19 strand of the Sustainability Fund, in addition to the EWSS.

ELC/SAC employers continue to be entitled to access the EWSS with an exemption to having to demonstrate the drop in turnover that applies to other sectors. Since October 2020, EWSS has been paid at enhanced rates and these rates are estimated to cover, on average, 80% of staff costs in the sector, or 50% of total operating costs.

There is strong evidence of the effectiveness of these supports.

The data on services that have closed and opened in 2020 are directly comparable to 2019 so there has been no loss of capacity:

- 197 services that were on the Early Years Register reported permanent closure to Tusla in 2020 compared to 196 in 2019.

- 91 new services were registered in 2020 compared to 93 in 2019.

Data from the Office of the Revenue Commissioners indicates that the number of employees in the sector has not changed substantially over the course of the pandemic

Data from the Annual Early Years Sector Profile 2020 Survey revealed no significant increase in fees charged to parents. The 2021 Survey will shortly go live to all providers to enable the collection of additional data on the impact of the Covid-19 and the measures taken by Government to support the sector. I anticipate this data being available in the coming months.

Planning is current underway by the Department of Finance in respect of the next phase of the EWSS and officials in my Department have engaged in this planning in respect of the ELC/SAC sector.

Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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49. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the medium-term plans of his Department to develop afterschool care; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26127/21]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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My Department's overarching objectives for school-age childcare (SAC) are, like its objectives for early learning and care (ELC), to strengthen the quality, affordability and accessibility of provision. Specific commitments are included in the Action Plan on SAC (published in 2017), which sets a strategic direction for SAC, and in First 5(which covers the period 2019-2028).

Two of the central commitments in the Action Plan on SAC were the development of quality standards and introduction of a quality assurance system. Initial Regulations for SAC were introduced in 2019, to enable SAC services to register with Tusla and take part in the National Childcare Scheme. My Department then published National Quality Guidelines for SAC Services in September 2020. The National Quality Guidelines, which describe the features of good quality practice in SAC, are an important resource for the diverse range of services that provide SAC in Ireland today. Key actions over the coming years will include roll-out of training to support implementation of the Guidelines, and the development and introduction of comprehensive regulations for SAC.

First 5 commits to introduce a minimum qualification for all staff working in SAC services, with an appropriate period of time to meet the requirement. Work is currently under way through the Workforce Development Plan to specify an appropriate qualification requirement. Implementation of the Workforce Development Plan over the coming years will involve roll-out of relevant training for staff and services.

The future development of both SAC and ELC will be shaped by a number of major projects under way at present, including the Workforce Development Plan and development of a new funding model for the sector. In addition to setting minimum qualifications, the Workforce Development Plan is looking at ways to raise the profile of careers in the sector, strengthen CPD, and build a more gender-balanced and diverse workforce. The Expert Group on a new funding model is examining mechanisms to ensure that increased State investment delivers for children and families to ensure greater levels of affordability, accessibility, quality and inclusion. Reports on both initiatives are due by the end of the year.

Other reforms signalled in First 5 and other national strategies may also encompass SAC over the coming years, including development of additional supports in areas of disadvantage, and capital investment under the National Development Plan.