Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats)
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522. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the steps that are being taken by his Department to monitor capacity issues in childcare services across the country and to address any issue of under supply; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28135/22]

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%.

My Department is continuing to monitor early learning and childcare capacity, with a particular focus on monitoring Covid-19 impacts as public health restrictions have been lifted and on responding to the unmet early learning and childcare needs of families.

In April this year, City/County Childcare Committee collected data on capacity in early learning and childcare services nationally and in May, the Annual Early Years Sector Profile survey was undertaken by Pobal, gathering updated information on enrolments, waiting lists and capacity.

In addition to these efforts to monitor capacity issues across the country, my Department is planning a range of steps to address any issue of under supply. A new funding model, to roll out in September, will provide funding for services aligned to costs of delivery so, for example, greater funding will be available to services that cater for younger children where costs of delivery are higher than older children. Some €70m has been allocated to my Department through the revised National Development Plan (NDP) – with the majority of this funding earmarked for new places. Another important step being taken by my Department, in partnership with the Department of Housing Planning and Local Government (DHPLG), is to update the 2001 Planning Guidelines for Local Authorities on Early Learning and Childcare Settings. In addition, CCC are currently proactively engaging with early learning and childcare services to identify unused capacity and explore the potential for services in increase capacity where there is evidence of unmet early learning and childcare needs of families.

Parents experiencing difficulty in relation to their early learning and childcare needs should contact their local City/County Childcare Committee (CCC) for assistance. Contact details for CCCs may be found on www.myccc.ie.

Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats)
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523. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth when the planning guidelines for local authorities on early learning and childcare settings will be updated; what this will entail; the timeline for implementation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28136/22]

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.  

A key objective of First 5, the Whole-of-Government Strategy for Babies, Young Children and their Families is to 'maintain and extend the supply of high-quality publicly subsidised early learning and childcare to best serve the developmental needs of babies and young children, ensuring that it also reflects the needs and preferences of parents and families'. 

Among a range of actions in this regard is the updating of the 2001 National Planning Guidelines for the development of Early Learning Childcare settings, in consultation with the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government.

This work had begun in 2020 but progress was impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Officials in my Department are making preparations to recommence this work, in partnership with the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government. This involves undertaking a review of the existing guidelines, the identification of proposed changes to the existing guidelines and consultation on proposed changes before finalisation and publication of updated guidelines.

To inform this work, I recently convened a meeting with officials from a number of Local Authorities to seek their views on the existing guidelines, including any issues experienced around implementation.

This will inform the work of my Department in this initial review phase and adds to information captured from the network of City/County Childcare Committees on their views of the existing guidelines.

It is hoped draft updated guidelines will be available for consultation in early 2023.

Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats)
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524. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if his attention has been drawn to childcare facilities increasing fees despite the Transition Fund being in place; the way that his Department is monitoring compliance in this regard; the steps that a parent can take if their childcare facility is engaging in this practice; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28137/22]

Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats)
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525. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if the fee increase imposed on parents in November 2021 still stands in cases in which a childcare facility sends an increased fees list to Pobal in September 2021 and were waiting approval on same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28138/22]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 525 and 524 together.

One of my top priorities in Government is to improve affordability of Early Learning and Care (ELC) and School Age Childcare (SAC) for parents. The package of measures I announced in Budget 2022 is designed to ensure that fees to parents do not increase and that the full affordability benefits of the National Childcare Scheme (NCS) and the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme are felt without being absorbed in fee increases.

I am concerned to hear of providers proposing to increase their fees at a time when the Government continues to support ELC and SAC providers significantly as they exit the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme (EWSS). 

Between May and August a Transition Fund is in place.  This is a temporary, once-off scheme, to support providers transition from the EWSS to the new Core Funding stream. The Transition Fund is operating ahead of the introduction of a new Core Funding stream in September 2022.

In the case of the Transition Fund and Core Funding, the contractual requirement is that fees to remain at or below September 2021 levels for the period of the schemes. These requirements for both the Transition Fund and Core Funding will apply to all services who contract into the schemes. Participation in both schemes is optional.

I am pleased that approximately 93% of providers have now signed-up to participate in the Transition Fund and thereby agree to maintain their fees at or below September 2021 rates.  I have had very few reports of ELC and SAC providers increasing their fees and in the instances referenced in the Deputy's questions, it is not clear whether or not the providers in question are participating in the Transition Fund.  If so, they are required by contract not to charge fees above those charged in September 2021. 

A key element in ensuring the affordability policy objectives of the schemes are met is helping parents know what services are participating in the Transition Fund (and subsequently Core Funding), and providing the corresponding commitment in respect of fees. To this end, my Department has published a list of all services/providers who have signed up to the Transition Fund. This list is available at first5fundingmodel.gov.ie/core-funding/

Pobal, as scheme administrator, manages compliance on all ELC and SAC schemes. Any parent or provider who has any queries about the operation of the Transition Fund or Core Funding can contact their local City/County Childcare Committee (CCC) for assistance and support at: myccc.ie/where-is-my-nearest-cccIf it is the case that the providers in question are participating in the Transition Fund, I would be grateful if further detail of the instances referred to could be raised with the local CCC for further examination.

The introduction of fee management measures is one of the recommendations of an Expert Group on a new funding model for ELC and SAC, as approved by Government. The 'freezing' of fees at or below September 2021 levels is the first step in this process.  The fee management system will be developed further in future years. Further information on proposed fee management mechanisms in the longer term is available in the Group's report, 'Partnership for the Public Good', which was published in December 2021.

Core Funding will be funding directly to providers and is designed improve affordability, quality, inclusion and sustainability. Core Funding will operate alongside the NCS and ECCE and constitute additional income for providers on top of funding for these schemes, as well as income from parental fees.

Extensive information on Core Funding is being communicated to the sector, including detail on the way in which Core Funding will be allocated to individual services. A Ready Reckoner has also been launched to assist providers in estimating the potential value of Core Funding for their individual service, as well as to test different scenarios. The provider contract for Core Funding will be published in June so applicants can review what they will later be asked to sign in August. At the end of August, Core Funding payments to providers commence.