Kathleen Funchion (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein)
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288. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the estimated additional cost of the roll-out of the DEIS model across the early years sector. [27077/22]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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Partnership for the Public Good, A New Funding Model for Early Learning and Care (ELC) and School-Age Childcare (SAC) - the report of an independently chaired Expert Group - was adopted in full by Government last December.

Amongst other things, this sets out a new approach to State funding of the ELC and SAC sector that includes universal and targeted Tackling Disadvantage funding and support, building on Core Funding. 

A number of research inputs contributed to this work including a paper on “Approaches to Identifying Children or Settings in Need of Additional Support” and another on “Funding Models Addressing Early Childhood Disadvantage”. There was also extensive and detailed stakeholder consultation on the issue of addressing disadvantage. The Expert Group was also briefed on the Department of Education’s DEIS model.

As recommended by the Expert Group, once core funding is embedded and changes to existing programmes take effect (ECCE and NCS), my Department will progress the development of the Tackling Disadvantage funding and support.

Informed by recommendations in Partnership for the Public Good, services will be provided with a proportionate mix of universal and targeted supports to support children and families accessing their services who are experiencing disadvantage.

At this early stage of development, it is not possible to meaningfully quantify the cost of such a model for ELC and SAC.

It is also important to note that this will not be a replication or extension of the Department of Education’s DEIS model given that the DEIS model is designed as educational disadvantage response in context of primary and post-primary education; although it will be informed by the DEIS approach.