Kathleen Funchion (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

1004. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the estimated cost of increasing funding for the access inclusion model by 15%. [31668/21]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The 2021 allocated budget for the Access and Inclusion Model (AIM) is €48.33 million.

This funding covers the cost of the seven levels of AIM, which encompass a range of both universal and targeted measures. The majority of this funding, €29.5 million, is for Level 7 Additional Assistance. This Level 7 funding is intended to facilitate either the recruitment of additional staff or to compensate services for a reduction in the adult-to-child ratio in the pre-school room, supporting the meaningful participation of all children in the room in the ECCE universal pre-school programme.

A 15% increase in funding for the overall Access and Inclusion Model would cost an additional €7.25 million per annum, bringing the total budget allocation to €55.58 million per annum.

Kathleen Funchion (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

1005. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the estimated cost of increasing the higher and lower capitation grants by €5, €6, €7, €8, €9 and €10 per week for the early childhood care and education scheme in 2022 assuming it is introduced in September of the year and the full year cost. [31669/21]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

My Department runs a number of Early Learning and Care schemes. The schemes are administered by Pobal on behalf of the DCEDIY.

€289.3m euro has been allocated to the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme in 2021.

The ECCE programme runs for 38 weeks each programme year. The standard capitation rate paid to providers is €69 per child, per week, and the higher capitation rate paid is €80.25 per child, per week. The programme currently provides 15 hours of free early learning and care per week.

The below table shows the financial impact of increasing the ECCE standard and higher capitation rates as per the question.

The Access and Inclusion Model (AIM) funding is intrinsically linked to ECCE capitations and any increase in rates or durations for the ECCE programme will have an impact on associated AIM costs.

While AIM Levels 7 is awarded on a weekly basis (€210 per week), the underlying basis for this figure is the cost of ECCE capitation for 3 children. Where an increase in ECCE capitation is applied, there may be a case for a corresponding increase in AIM Level 7 costs. Initial estimates indicate that the programme will cost circa €30.8m in 2022 based on current AIM level 7 projected applications.

The table below captures the impacts of the outlined increases based on a pro rata and corresponding percentage increase would have to the estimated allocation for AIM Level 7 support costs in 2022.