Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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483. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to review correspondence (details supplied); to outline any plans to provide such a facility here; if the community locates a facility, what it would need to do to get it up and running; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40323/24]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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The availability of high-quality early learning and childcare (which includes school aged childcare) is a key Government priority. Considerable investment has taken place in recent years to improve the resourcing, quality and availability of early learning and childcare. Data available shows that the level of capacity in the sector has risen substantially in recent years. However, I am aware that some parents are having difficulty in finding the type of affordable early learning and care provision that they would like for their children, particularly younger children.

While my Department does not directly provide after school childcare, it does provide a range of supports for anybody that wishes to set up an early learning and childcare or after school childcare service. Any provider interested in establishing an after-school service can get support from their local County Childcare Committee (CCC) for information and support on establishing or hosting an after-school service. Details of the CCCs can be found on .

The introduction of Core Funding in 2022 brought a significant increase in investment for the sector, with €259 million of funding paid directly to services in year 1 of the scheme, of which €210.8 million was entirely new funding. Core Funding is a supply-side grant to early learning and childcare providers towards their operating costs. It is designed to deliver sustainability for providers through increased funding to the sector, paid on a consistent and equitable basis.

This funding, which increased by 11% (to €287 million) in year 2, has increased again by a further 15% in year 3 (to €331 million).

In order to increase provision, the Department of Education has also published Procedures on the use of School Buildings outside of School Hours. This document assists schools in considering applications for use of their facilities. To encourage the greater use of such facilities, the Department of Education has committed to provide schools with a guarantee that any income from after-school use of their facilities will not affect their State grants, capitation fees or any other form of departmental funding. Schools may establish such a service themselves, or may provide premises to a Tusla registered provider to deliver after-school care on the school premises. It is important to note that schools are run by their Board of Management and so the decision on whether or not to facilitate school aged childcare on the premises ultimately lies with the Board of Management.

Another 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 early learning and childcare places in the parts of the country where they are needed. The model will identify the quantum and volume of different types of early learning and childcare 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 will also be operating a capital funding scheme next year to support existing services to increase capacity.

It was noted that the correspondent is currently using a childminder. The main route through which parents are subsidised for their early learning and childcare costs is the National Childcare Scheme. The Childcare Support Act 2018, which provides a statutory basis for the National Childcare Scheme, specifies that only Tusla-registered providers are eligible to participate in the Scheme.

The National Action Plan for Childminding 2021-2028 (NAPC) commits to extending regulation to all paid, non-relative childminders who work in their own homes. On 30th September the Child Care (Amendment) Act 2024, and the Child Care Act 1991 (Early Years Services) (Childminding Regulations) 2024 were commenced and Tusla opened their registration service for childminders. The Act removes the exemption to regulation for all paid, non-relative childminders. The Act also amends the legislation underpinning the National Childcare Scheme, to ensure parents who use Tusla-registered childminders are eligible for subsidies under the National Childcare Scheme. All childminders are now able to register with Tusla. Once registered, which is likely to take a number of weeks, childminders will then be able to sign up (through Pobal) to take part in the National Childcare Scheme and offer the same subsidies to parents that they would receive if their children were attending a childcare centre.

From 2 September, the minimum hourly subsidy under the National Childcare Scheme for all children under 15 increased from €1.40 to €2.14 per hour. For families using Tusla-registered early learning and childcare, including childminders, this subsidy increase represents total cost reductions of up to €96.30 weekly per child, or over €5,000 annually. The subsidies progress up to €230 per week depending on the family’s individual circumstances such as household income and the age of the child.