Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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205. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the options that are available to ensure that a child (details suppled) receives their ECCE year. [23581/22]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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I am very concerned to hear that this family has been unable to secure an ECCE place for their child.

First and foremost, I would strongly advise that the family contact the local CCC who can work with the family to try to  identify a provider who will provide ECCE for the child mentioned in your correspondence. Information for the relevant CCC is available at: www.myccc.ie

You mention the “Aims support worker”.  The goal of AIM is to empower pre-school providers to deliver an inclusive pre-school experience, ensuring that every eligible child can meaningfully participate in the ECCE programme and reap the benefits of quality early learning and care in any mainstream pre-school. AIM is based on the needs of the child in the context of the pre-school setting and a diagnosis of disability is not a requirement of eligibility.

AIM level 7 provides financial support to a pre-school provider where needed, which can be used to either reduce the adult to child ratio or to buy in additional assistance for the pre-school room. Level 7 assistance is not a SNA model of support, and any additional members of staff funded by AIM are a shared resource for the pre-school setting. More information on AIM is available at: aim.gov.ie/

Early Intervention classes attached to primary schools for autistic children aged 3 and over are provided by the Department of Education and the family is advised to contact that Department in this regard if they wish to pursue this avenue.

I would also note that the Department of Education provide a Home Tuition Scheme which provides funding towards 10 hours tuition for children under 3 years of age and 20 hours per week for children over 3 years of age who cannot secure a placement in an early intervention class.

Further information is available at www.gov.ie/en/circular/a52be-home-tuition-grant-scheme-20202021-special-education-component/

Gerald Nash (Louth, Labour)
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206. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of ECCE places that will be made available in County Louth in the coming year; the number of applications that have been received to date; if additional places will be made available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23689/22]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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The Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Programme runs from September to June each year. From 4 July 2022, the ECCE programme 2022/23 will be open for registrations. From this point, providers will be able to register children on the Programme.

As the registration process has not yet opened, there is no data yet available in respect of the coming ECCE programme year.

Gerald Nash (Louth, Labour)
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207. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of ECCE places available in County Louth in each of the years from 2017 to 2021, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23690/22]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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The availability of high-quality early learning and childcare that is affordable and accessible is a key Government priority.

Since 2015, significant increases in State investment in early learning and childcare has given rise to a substantial growth in the numbers of children participating in these services. More than 100,000 children now participate on the universal pre-school programme on an annual basis and the National Childcare Scheme subsidises up to 80,000 children.

To ensure that the supply of early learning and childcare places meets demand, my Department has, since 2015, funded the creation of more than 27,000 new places through an Annual Capital Programme.

Before the onset of Covid-19, national data indicated that, on the whole, supply of early learning and childcare places was meeting demand, with evidence of undersupply for certain age groups including children under 3, and in certain areas.

Data gathered throughout the Covid-19 pandemic revealed lower demand for early learning and childcare, and reduced occupancy among early learning and childcare services. Indeed, data captured in June 2021 found significant vacancy rates across the country – with the national vacancy rate averaging at 21% and a vacancy rate in County Louth of 24%.

The number of ECCE places (reported as sessional places) in County Louth over the period 2017-2021 are set out below. The data is drawn from the Annual Early Years Sector Profile surveys and have been extrapolated using the county response rates. The figures for 2019/20 were not available.

Pobal has commenced the new data collection as of 4 April 2022, as part of the Annual Early Years Sector Profile survey. This will allow for updated information on capacity among early learning and childcare services in County Louth to be established.