Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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418. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will outline the milestones for the establishment of the Early Childhood and Childcare Agency; the range of responsibilities and powers which it will have; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39144/24]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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My Department appointed Indecon, International Economic and Strategic Consultants, in December 2023 on foot of a Request For Tender for an initial period of 18 months. My Department is currently engaging with the consultants who have been contracted to carry out a phase of research, analysis and stakeholder engagement to inform the design of the agency. This work, which is expected to take 18-24 months, is currently focused on information gathering, analysis and an initial design phase to take place throughout 2024 and 2025. As the project is still in the research, analysis and design phase of the agency, which currently includes the mapping of functions across the early learning and childcare sector, it is not possible at the stage of the project to set out the responsibilities and powers that the new agency will have.

The second phase of the project relates to a more in-depth design and costing exercise to take place from 2025 and is scheduled to take an estimated 6-9 months. The work will culminate in a costed agency design, including the remit, organisational structure and service delivery model, which will be presented to Government for approval. It is envisaged that drafting of the enacting legislation will commence and overlap with this detailed design and costing phase of work.

My Department is engaged in ongoing consultation with all stakeholders throughout the design process. In that regard, a series of stakeholder consultation sessions have already been held with key stakeholders in December 2023, January 2024, May 2024 and June 2024 with valuable input being received as part of a collaborative co-design process to develop a vision, mission and values for the agency, and the mapping exercise on the proposed functions for the new agency. A further consultation session is being planned for October 2024 regarding the mapping of the workforce across the current operating model for early learning and care and school age childcare. These phases of the design process will continue to inform the overall functions and responsibilities of the agency as the project progresses.