Fionntán Ó Súilleabháin (Wicklow-Wexford, Sinn Fein)
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646. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth regarding a childcare centre (details supplied), the reason only six days’ notice was given to notify the service of the decision to remove food provision at this facility; if the core funding can be adjusted to facilitate food services; what supports are available to childcare facilities facing financial difficulty under the core funding model; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15432/25]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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Core Funding is a supply side funding scheme, with the majority of the funding distributed to services via the base rate. This is based on a service's staffed capacity, that is, the number of staff, the operating hours, opening weeks and the age group of children for whom services are provided, as well as the number of places available. The scheme also pays graduate premiums for services with graduate lead educators, or graduate managers.

The Core Funding grant is available to all services who meet the criteria outlined in the Agreement for Provision of Core Funding Programme Year 3 (2024/2025) funding agreement.

The scheme is worth to €331 million in the current programme year.

The table below provides information on the Core Funding received by the service in question for year 1 and 2 of Core Funding as well as the estimated grant in year 3 of the scheme:

There are also wider financial supports available from my Department where a service is experiencing financial difficulty or has concerns about their viability, which can be accessed while remaining within Core Funding.

Pobal, the scheme administrator, has informed my Department that this service is currently engaging with them regarding sustainability supports.

This support can take the form of assisting services with interpreting analysis of staff ratios and cash flow, financial support for services, as well as more specialised advice and support appropriate to individual circumstances.

These supports can be accessed by any Core Funding Partner Service by contacting their local County/City Childcare Committee.

With regards to the removal of the food provision by this service, the Core Funding Partner Service Funding Agreement, rule 7.6.1 states “Where a Partner Service stops offering meals as an Incorporated Service, (i.e. which were previously included in the fee charged to parents/guardians), they must decrease the fee charged by 10%. Where a service stops offering snacks which were previously included in the fee charged to parents/guardians, they must decrease the fee charged by 5%.”

I can confirm that neither my Officials or Pobal informed the service that they should remove food provision.