Kathleen Funchion (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein)
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72. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if his Department is examining the serious issues in relation to the current national childcare scheme exclusion of disadvantaged children as part of the wider review of childcare funding. [28590/21]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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I am strongly committed to improving access to high quality early learning and childcare, especially those who are most disadvantaged given the benefits this confers to children.

The National Childcare Scheme represents the first ever statutory entitlement to financial support for early learning and childcare.

It marks a shift away from previous schemes, which were based on medical card and social protection entitlements to a more progressive system of universal and income-based subsidies.

Under the NCS, significantly more families are eligible for support.

NCS makes early learning and childcare more affordable, and in some instances free, to these families - with those on lowest incomes receiving the greatest level of support.

NCS is designed to ensure that access provided is at a level necessary to support positive child development outcomes regardless of whether parents are in work or study.

This approach is taken in other jurisdictions, and there is strong international evidence that it is to the benefit of children.

Where parents are not engaged in work or study, the NCS subsidises up to 20 hours per week.

Where parents are engaged in work or study, the NCS subsidises up to 45 hours of per week.

The definition of work or study is broad, covering all forms of work or study arrangements: full-time, part-time, week-on/ week-off and zero hour contracts. In addition, the minimum hours required to engage in work or study to qualify for enhanced hours is very low – at just two hours per week.

The NCS also includes sponsorship arrangements that allows for additional support for vulnerable families where there is an identified need for early learning and childcare on the grounds of child development or child welfare.

External assessment by the OECD and ESRI point to a range of benefits of NCS, including a reduction in the cost of early learning and childcare and an increase in family income, with the most disadvantaged families experiencing the greatest gains.

I recently contracted Frontier Economics to undertake a review of the NCS. This review will assess the effectiveness of the NCS in meeting the objectives which are meaningfully measurable within the first year of the Scheme. This Review may suggest enhancements to the NCS to better fulfill its objectives.

Separately, an Expert Group has been convened by my Department to develop a new funding model for early learning and childcare. This Group is reviewing the effectiveness of current approaches to funding and will submit recommendations later this year on how additional funding could be structured to deliver for children and families. These recommendation will include a particular focus on children and families experiencing disadvantage.

Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance)
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73. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth his plans to deal with early childhood care providers who are opting out of the national childcare scheme and therefore leaving parents who are reliant on their services to foot the full costs of their services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28750/21]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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The National Childcare Scheme (NCS) is the first ever statutory entitlement to support for childcare costs in Ireland. Since the introduction of the NCS in November 2019 over 105,200 applications have been submitted for the NCS relating to over 99,400 children.

Childcare providers are private businesses and as such it is matter for those businesses to decide whether they enter into any contractual arrangement including for the provision of the NCS. Childcare Services contract on an annual basis to participate in the Scheme. At present, over 3,000 ELC/SAC providers are contracted to participate in the NCS.

To support providers and encourage sign-up in advance of the launch of the NCS, my Department provided a number of supports including a transition support payment and a capital grant for ICT equipment to support scheme administration.

In addition, my Department provides an annual programme support payment to support administration of all schemes.

Along with these payments, multiple training sessions were offered through all City/County Childcare Committees (CCCs) nationwide. Training continues to be available from all CCCs for ELC/SAC providers who require assistance in operating the NCS.

I do appreciate the difficulties caused when a parent’s preferred childcare provider does not engage with the NCS. However, parents can access their NCS award through any registered ELC/SAC provider.

The NCS is designed to be flexible. Therefore a CHICK number, which unlocks a subsidy award, can be used in any NCS-registered ELC/SAC service.

Parents needing support to source childcare places should contact their local County Childcare Committee, details of which can be found on myccc.ie

A formal review of the NCS has commenced, as required under Section 26 of the Childcare Support Act 2018. It is intended that a finalised report of this review will be published in late 2021. The review will include the views of providers on the scheme.

The review will provide a basis for my Department to consider how effectively the NCS is operating and whether it is meeting the objectives which are meaningfully measurable within the first year.