Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

268. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to provide a breakdown of all EU funding made available to his Department which has not yet been allocated; and the purpose for which this funding has been made available by the EU. [9800/24]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Nurturing Skills Learner Fund was launched in December 2023 and is co-funded by the EU under the ESF+ Employment, Inclusion, Skills and Training (EIST) Programme 2021-2027, Skills and Lifelong Learning, Childcare Upskilling.

The ESF+ programme includes provision for financial support for the planned reform of funding for upskilling of early years educators and school-age childcare practitioners, in line with commitments in Nurturing Skills, The Workforce Plan for the Early Learning and Care and School-Age Childcare Workforce 2022-2028. It includes funding to support educators/practitioners to undertake relevant degrees while continuing to work in the sector. The Nurturing Skills Learner Fund was launched in December 2023 and it is expected to open the scheme for applications in May 2024 for the academic year 2024/2025.

ESF+ activities are pre-financed with Exchequer funding through the normal budgetary process. The EU ESF+ contribution is recouped from the European Commission following the submission of certified claims. As the first intake of staff will not occur until Autumn 2024 with the earliest possible graduate occurring in 2026, no funding has been recouped to date. The proposed allocation is set out below.