Alan Farrell (Dublin Fingal, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

295. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the total estimated cost of converting early years educators, lead educators, deputy managers and managers to public sector employees. [43757/24]

Alan Farrell (Dublin Fingal, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

302. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the total cost based on the average salary in the sector, per category, of those working in ELC and SAC, of converting these employees to public servants. [43764/24]

Alan Farrell (Dublin Fingal, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

303. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the total cost based on the average pay, per category, of those delivering the early childhood care and education programme, of converting these employees to public servants. [43765/24]

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

I propose to take Questions Nos. 295, 302 and 303 together.

As the State does not employ staff in ELC and SAC services, neither I nor the Department can set wage levels or determine working conditions for staff in the sector.

However, there is now, through the independent Joint Labour Committee (JLC) process, a formal mechanism established by which employer and employee representatives can negotiate terms and conditions of employment including minimum pay rates for different roles in ELC and SAC services.

Outputs from the JLC process has seen two increases in minimum rates of pay for roles in the sector and positively impacting over 70% and 50% of the workforce respectively.

Based on 2024 data supplied by Partner Services taking part in the Core Funding scheme and extrapolated to represent all services in the sector, the estimated employer costs for staff working in services (excluding ancillary staff) is approximately €1.023 billion. This cost includes Public Sector costs such as PRSI and Pension and is the estimated cost of assuming the current wage bill for the sector.

Its is not possible to provide the staff cost associated with a particular programme, such as ECCE, as many of the staff working in the sector work across programmes and age groups.

In relation to the estimates above, the following should be noted:

• The cost estimates are based on staff who had an hourly wage recorded in service providers’ submissions for Core Funding, but the Core Funding data has been extrapolated to provide an estimate for all staff working in the sector.

• Cost estimates are based on the most recent data available to the Department, which was provided by service providers in May 2024, this data was provided prior to the new EROs for Early Years Services came into force on June 24th.

• Calculations are based on wage-data available at a point in time. Some services may have increased wages more recently, which would reduce the cost to services of moving from current wage-rates to the proposed wage rates in the question.

• The cost estimates only relate to staff and managers covered by the current EROs, i.e. the estimates exclude the cost of ancillary staff.

• The figure does not take into account the income currently received by those working in the sector who are self-employed and who derive their income from profits rather than wages, nor does it include the cost of Public sector terns and conditions in relation to holiday pay or sick leave due to the complexities of mapping such conditions.

Alan Farrell (Dublin Fingal, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

296. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the full-year cost of funding 1,000 new public early childhood education and care places per year, and 6,500 places per year. [43758/24]

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

My officials have prepared an estimated cost of funding for public early childhood education and care services under the following assumptions:

• Assuming each service will deliver 60 places, 17 services will provide 1,020 places and 108 services will provide 6,480 places.
• These services will be staffed as per regulatory ratios, with provision for salaries at hourly rates stipulated by the most recent Employment Regulation Orders.
• Each service has the following capacity profile:
  • 0-1 year old: 6 places (1 room, 2 staff required – 1 Early Years Educator @ €13.65, 1 Lead Educator @ €14.70)
  • 1-2 years old: 10 places (1 room, 2 staff required – 2 Early Years Educators @ €13.65, 1 Graduate Lead Educator @ €16.28)
  • 2-3 years old: 12 places (2 staff required, Early Years Educator @ €13.65, 1 Lead Educator @ €14.70)
  • 3-6 years old: 32 places across 2 rooms (all of which are full time places, no ECCE-only children) – (4 staff required, 2 Early Years Educators @ €13.65, 1 Graduate Lead Educator @ €16.28, 1 (non-graduate) Manager @ €17.33)
  • One Deputy Manager working for 35 hours per week @ €16.49 to provide cover as necessary, allow for administration etc.
• Assuming each service operates from 8:30am-5:30pm (45 hours/week) and all rooms are fully staffed for that duration.
• Assuming non-staff running costs, including premises costs are 32% of total costs and where 100% costs are determined by staffing costs.

• For 17 services providing 1,020 places the total annual running costs would be €11.5 million.
• For 108 services providing 6,480 places the total annual running costs would be €73.3 million.

Alan Farrell (Dublin Fingal, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

297. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the full-year cost of extending the early childhood care and education programme by 30 minutes, and one hour per day. [43759/24]

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

The Deputy has requested the full year cost of extending the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Programme by 30 minutes per day and 1 hour per day.

The ECCE Programme is currently provided for 3 hours per day across 38 weeks per year. In calculating the cost of these changes the total budget allocation for the ECCE programme for 2025 (€269.25 million) was used. The proportional increase in hours was applied to this allocation to determine the additional cost of the changes.

The results are given in the below table:

It is important to note that these estimates are based on a static system and do not account for any potential changes in behaviour that would result from these changes. These estimates also assume that all services providing ECCE would have the capacity for the proposed increase.

Alan Farrell (Dublin Fingal, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

298. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the full-year cost of increasing the NCS universal subsidy so that the average family (regardless of the number of children) pays no more than €400 for the maximum hours, for children up to five years, ten years, and 15 years. [43760/24]

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

Due to the complexity of the above scenario and its divergence from current resource modelling, this will require some time to gather data, construct a model and respond.

Officials will revert to the Deputy directly as soon as possible.