Kathleen Funchion (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein)
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587. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the estimated cost of increasing capacity in early years providers for baby places 0-1 nationally by 10%. [25594/23]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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Some €69 million was allocated to the Early Learning and Childcare sector in the revised National Development Plan (NDP) allocation. This will enable significant capital investment in early learning and childcare across three pillars: (1) Building Blocks - Improvement Grant, (2) Building Blocks - Capacity Grant and (3) Building Blocks - Innovation Grant.

The design of both the Building Blocks - Capacity Grant scheme and the Innovation Scheme are currently underway. A working group has been established comprising officials of my Department, representatives of the County Childcare Committees and Pobal. The working group will examine the likely capital costs of physically extending Early Learning and Childcare facilities, including the estimated cost of increasing capacity for baby places 0-1. The working group will also conduct a needs analysis as to where additional capacity is required by geographical location and age group. Until my Department completes this work it is not possible to state the estimated cost of increasing capacity for baby places, age 0 -1, in Early Years at this present time.

The annual data captured by Pobal on behalf of my Department - through the Early Years Sector Profile Survey - is one important data source that allows us to monitor supply and demand. In addition to this survey data, the Department also relies on data from the register of services held by Tusla, data provided by services as part of their application for Core Funding and has also conducted several surveys with parents. Since 2020, five parent surveys have been undertaken by Ipsos MRBI on behalf of the Department.

Based on data captured through the Early Years Sector Profile Surveys 2020/22 (gathered in Spring 2021 with a response rate of 57%) and 2021/22 (gathered in Spring 2022 with a response rate of 82.5%) – extrapolated to take account of all services– the number of places for children aged 0-2 increased by 3% over this period. Data collection for the Early Years Sector Profile 2022/23 is currently underway and will give an updated position.