Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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299. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he plans to increase funding for the childcare sector in Budget 2022. [48756/21]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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My Department is investing €638 million this year in the Early Learning and Care and School Age Childcare sector. State investment in ELC and SAC has increased by an unprecedented 141% since 2015. This funding has significantly extended the number of places available in the sector and the numbers of children benefiting from free or subsidised services.

Government has committed to increase investment in the sector to €1 billion by 2028.

A key vehicle to ensure that such significant additional investment delivers for children, families and the State will be a new funding model.

An Expert Group was established in September 2019 to develop this new funding model. The Group is independently chaired and includes national and international experts in ELC and SAC systems, funding, quality, economics, and relevant policy experts.

The Group has commissioned a series of research reports examining Ireland’s approach to this sector in an international context and engaged in an extensive programme of stakeholder consultation and engagement.

The report of the Expert Group is currently being drafted and will be submitted to me in November. I have met with the Chair of the Group and been briefed on its progress.

Further information on the work of the Expert Group and documentation related to the process is available atwww.first5fundingmodel.ie.