Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

372. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth further to Parliamentary Question No. 91 of 15 May 2024, for data underpinning the figures provided in Table 1 (details supplied). [37579/24]

Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

374. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth further to Parliamentary Question No. 91 of 15 May 2024, if any exercise to determine average weekly figures for the 2021-2022, 2022-2023 or 2023-2024 programme years has been carried out by any State agency in order to compare to the figures for 2020-2021 as provided in the reply; if so, the data underpinning these averages; and if this data will be made publicly available. [37581/24]

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

I propose to take Questions Nos. 372 and 374 together.

My Department is currently collating the information requested and a reply will issue directly to the Deputy in due course.

Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

373. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if the annual early years sector profile survey was completed by Pobal for the programme year 2023-2024; and when the results of this survey will be added to the Early Learning and Childcare Data website. [37580/24]

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

The Annual Early Years Sector Profile survey is the primary data source on the Early Learning and Care (ELC) and School-Age Childcare (SAC) sector. It is developed and administered by Pobal on behalf of the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY). All services who are contracted to deliver at least one DCEDIY funded programme/scheme (i.e. ECCE, NCS, CCSP) are invited to take part in the survey. The survey, which has been running for 21 years, plays a central role in informing policy development, assessing the impact of policy change and provides a comprehensive national analysis of ELC and SAC services throughout Ireland.

The annual early years sector profile survey was completed again this year for the programme year 2023/24. Data collection for the 2023/24 survey took place between 07 May and 07 June 2024. In total, 4,022 services completed the survey during the data collection window, with a response rate of 87%. Data cleaning is currently in progress and the publication of the results on the Early Learning and Childcare Data website is expected to begin towards the end of this year.

Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

375. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth when parent statements provided by each partner service for the programme years 2021-2022, 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 will be made publicly available; and the reason these documents have not been made publicly available heretofore given that section 7.4 of the Core Funding Partner Service Agreement Year 1 provides that each partner service agrees to allow the Minister or scheme administrator to publish their parent statement. [37582/24]

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

I would like to thank the Deputy for raising the question regarding the publishing of the Parent Statements for Partner Service.

I have been informed by the relevant unit within my Department that they have been in contact with Pobal, the Core Funding scheme administrator, to facilitate uploading the Parent Statements to the NCS childcare search.

My Department will endeavour to have these publicly available as soon as possible.

Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

376. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth his plans to ensure that parents are made aware of how they can request a fee review of the fees policy of their partner service creche; and his views on his Department’s plans to direct all 30 childcare committees to provide a dedicated section on their websites advertising their role in this process and nominating a contact person within the childcare committee. [37583/24]

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

Services who contract into Core Funding are required to keep their fees at the same level as the fees charged to parents in September 2021.

Partner Services may create a new Service Type and agree that the fee for any new Service Type will be calculated as not more than a proportion of the closest equivalent fee extant on September 30, 2021 which, all other things being equal, would apply to the eligible child. The proportion of the fee cannot exceed the relative proportion of the Service Type.

Where a Partner Service increases the level of service offered, a higher fee can be charged for this, but the higher fee must be in direct proportion to the increase. For example, for an increase in full-day care from 40 hours/week to 50 hours/week represents an increase of 25%, a higher fee can be charged for this but it cannot exceed an increase of 25% of the previous fee that was charged to parents/guardians as of 30 September 2021.

Where the amount of service offered is decreased, the fee charged must also decrease by at least the same proportion. If a new Service Type with shorter hours is introduced, the fee charged should be set in proportion to the closest existing Service Type, as above for cases where the Service Type has longer hours.

Where a Partner Service removes a Service Type and replaces it with a new Service Type, for example stops offering Part-Time and replaces this with Full-Time only, the fee for the old Service Type must also be removed and the fee charged for the new Service Type must be proportionate to that which was charged for the previous Service Type.

This fee freeze will remain in place for the majority of these services for year 3 of Core Funding, though there are two new developments:

• Services whose fees have been frozen at a level that may not be sufficient to sustain their business even with increased funding available through Core Funding, will have the opportunity to apply for a Fee Increase Assessment. Only services currently charging low fees (fees below the average in their county) will be eligible to apply and the onus will be on the provider to demonstrate a need for a fee increase. Any approved fee increases by my Department will not go above the increased universal NCS subsidy that a parent would be receiving for the full hours offered within the fee. This means that parents receiving the universal NCS subsidy for the full hours offered in these services will not face higher costs.
• A cap on fees is being introduced for services joining Core Funding for the first time in the third year. A fee cap will apply to all services in Core Funding from September 2025. This change will improve affordability for parents, as very high fees will be reduced.

Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

377. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth his views on the way parents can compare fees being charged by their partner service creche to those frozen from the 2021-2022 programme year, noting that these frozen fee levels are not available from the National Childcare Scheme or from local childcare committees. [37584/24]

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

I would like to thank the Deputy for raising this question.

Current fees list for 2024/2025 programme year are available to view by parents on the NCS website under the Childcare Search function. I have asked that historical fees lists for each service provider also be added to the website and this will be introduced in the coming weeks to give parents the ability to check previous years fees where there is a concern.

In the meantime, parents can contact the Parent Support Centre by phone by completing a contact form on the website to ask about year-on-year comparison of fees lists for their individual service. Parents can also contact their local city or County Childcare Committee for information and support regarding fees – the CCCs have access to all fees lists for their region.

My Department will endeavour to have these publicly available as soon as possible.