Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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Improving access to quality and affordable Early Learning and Childcare (ELC) is a key priority of Government. Data available to my Department demonstrates that, overall, ELC provision is expanding nationally, specifically:

• Data from the Early Years Sector Profile Survey shows that, between 2021/22 and 2022/23, the estimated number of enrolments in services rose by 8% from 197,210 to 213,154.
• Core Funding application data shows that between Year 1 (from September 2022-August 2023) and Year 2 (from September 2023-August 2024) of the scheme, annual place hours increased by 7.4%.
• Data from Tusla on service closures and new service registrations shows a net increase nationally of 129 in the overall number of services in 2023 and a five-year low in the number of net ELC services closures – with pre-school service closures falling by 18% in the first year of Core Funding.
• Data from the Early Years Sector Profile Survey showing that, between 2021/22 and 2022/23, the estimated number of staff in the ELC workforce rose by 8% from 34,357 to 37,060.
• Data from the NCS shows that since 2022, there has been a 22 per cent increase in the number of providers offering the Scheme, a 100 per cent increase in the numbers of children benefitting from the Scheme and a 52 per cent increase in the number of sponsored children.
• At the same time, there are also instances of underutilisation of capacity with some services reporting vacant places and others not operating to the maximum of their Tusla capacity.
• There is also evidence that demand for places is increasing and, for certain cohorts and in certain areas, outstripping supply. This is partly driven by the significant improvements in affordability that have been achieved in recent years and I acknowledge that some families experience challenges in accessing places, particularly for younger children.

My Department has in place a range of supports and funding schemes to support the delivery of ELC places but services are independently operated, either by community not-for-profit or by private for-profit providers. It is important also to note that demand can vary significantly in line with families’ individual composition, circumstances and preferences; employment patterns and income; and the price and availability of services.

An important project that I have initiated this year is the development of a forward planning model to develop a better understanding of the nature of supply and how it relates to demand and in order to support the delivery of more ELC places in the parts of the country where they are needed.

The model will identify the quantum and volume of different types of ELC places across the country, whether or not those places are occupied and how that aligns with the numbers of children in the corresponding age cohorts at local area level.

My Department also oversees the administration of capital investment under the National Development Plan, through the Building Blocks Capacity Grant. The primary focus of the Building Blocks Capacity Grant Schemes is to increase capacity in the 1-3 year old, pre-ECCE, age range for full day or part-time care. Appraisal of applications for this scheme considers the supply and demand in the area around the proposed projects and seeks to prioritise funding for areas with the biggest supply/demand mismatch. I hope to announce further details of the Building Blocks Extension Grant Scheme in the coming weeks.

Additionally, my Department is currently engaging with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage to examine and review the 2001 Planning Guidelines for Local Authorities on Early Learning and Childcare Settings with a view to updating them.

In addition, under the National Action Plan for Childminding, I have committed to opening up access to the National Childcare Scheme to parents who use childminders following the extension of regulation to childminders. This will increase the numbers of funded and regulated ELC places available.

Each year, Pobal compiles data from the Early Learning and Care (ELC) and School Age Childcare (SAC) providers as part of the Early Years Sector Profile Survey.

The most recent capacity data for the 2022/23 programme year estimated that there were 8,780 children enrolled in Meath ELC and SAC services, 55% of services had at least one vacant place, and 38% had a waiting list.

Waiting list data can be used as an indicator of demand for places for a given age group or service type. However, it should not be used as a measure of demand as not all services operate a waiting list and an individual child may be on multiple waiting lists in different services.

Further information can be found on the ELC data website: www.pobal.ie/childcare/earlylearningandchildcaredata/. The Capacity Section of the website provides information on the number of children enrolled, number of vacant places and number of children on waiting lists. It also includes figures on the sector’s overall capacity nationally and by county.

To support parents to find appropriate ELC places to meet their needs, my Department funds 30 City/County Childcare Committees which provide support and assist families and ELC providers with ELC matters. Parents can contact Meath County Childcare Committee on 046 907 3010 or at reception@mccc.ie.