Written answers
Tuesday, 1 April 2025
Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth
Departmental Programmes
Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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676. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the action that has been taken in furtherance of the stated commitment in the Programme for Government to 'undertake a broad consultation and publish a detailed Action Plan to build an affordable, high-quality, accessible early education and care system with State-led facilities adding capacity'; if the terms of reference for this broad consultation have been agreed; if not, when it is expected they will be; when it is expected this broad consultation will commence; the expected timeframe for completion of this broad consultation; and when it is expected the aforementioned detailed action plan will be published; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15782/25]
Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The Programme for Government outlines the commitment to ‘undertake a broad consultation and publish a detailed Action Plan to build an affordable, high-quality, accessible early childhood education and care system with State-led facilities adding capacity’. It goes on to state, ‘This plan will enhance parental choice through ongoing support for public, private and community provision, as well as childminders’.
My Officials are very much in the planning phase for this work, including determining the scope of the Action Plan, in the context of existing Plans (such as Nurturing Skills, the Workforce Plan Early Learning and Care and School-Age Childcare, the National Action Plan for Childminding and the First 5 Implementation Plan 2023-2025) and new Plans in development (such as the Action Plan for Administrative and Regulatory Simplification, the National Plan to Support Irish Language Provision in Early Learning and Care and School-Age Childcare, the First 5 Implementation Plan 2026-2028) as well as the ongoing work to review the legislative and regulatory framework for school-age childcare, to strengthen the inspection system and to reform the operating model (with a design and implementation planning phase for the establishment of dedicated state agency underway).
My Officials are also examining available research and data that will inform this Action Plan, including:
- findings from the recently published reviews of the ECCE programme and Access and Inclusion Model,
- the extant administrative data now available through my Department’s funding schemes,
- the new forward planning model in development that seeks to identify the nature and volume of different types of early learning and childcare places across the country and how that aligns with the numbers of children in the corresponding age cohorts at local area level,
- the wide-ranging nationally representative parent survey on early learning and childcare recently undertaken by Ipsos on behalf of my Department,
- the Annual Early Years Sector Profile Survey, which will commence shortly, and
- findings from the OECD TALIS Starting Strong Survey, which are expected later this year.
Similarly, my Officials are also examining how recent consultations with stakeholders in the sector can inform the design of the broad consultation process that is committed to in the Programme for Government, having regard to ensuring the voices of children and families, educators and practitioners, providers and other stakeholders within the sector are taken into account.
The timelines for undertaking the broad consultation and publishing the Action Plan will be determined during this planning phase. I will update the Deputy as this important work progresses.
Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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677. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the action that has been undertaken in furtherance of the stated commitment in the Programme for Government to 'grow State involvement and investment in the sector'; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15783/25]
Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The pathway to developing the early learning and childcare sector was set out in Partnership for the Public Good, the report of the Expert Group that was agreed by Government in 2021.
The key theme of that report was the need to strengthen State involvement in the sector through greater levels of public management accompanied by greater levels of public funding.
Since that report was published, State investment has increased by 114% to €1.37 billion in 2025, with the majority of that funding allocated through Together for Better, the new funding model for early learning and childcare.
This funding model which brings together the ECCE programme, the Access and Inclusion Model, the National Childcare Scheme, Equal Start and Core Funding, supports the delivery of early learning and childcare for the public good, for quality and affordability for children, parents and families as well as stability and sustainability for providers.
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 increased by 11% (to €287 million) in year 2 and by a further 15% in year 3 (to €331 million) to facilitate a range of enhancements to the scheme. In line with Budget 2025, Core Funding will be worth approximately €390 million in year 4 of the scheme, contingent on updated Employment Regulation Orders.
Core Funding has a high uptake rate among providers. Currently 93% or more than 4,400, providers having signed up for Core Funding in year 3.
The scheme is designed to meet the combined objectives of:
- Improved affordability for parents through the introduction of fee management and
- contractual requirements on providers to offer the National Childcare Scheme and/or the ECCE programme
- Improved quality through better pay and conditions for the workforce by supporting agreement on an Employment Regulation Order through the Joint Labour Committee;
- Supporting the employment of graduate staff; and
- Improved sustainability and stability for services.
In addition, a Supply Management Unit was established last year in my Department. The Programme for Government articulates an intention that the Unit be resourced and transformed into a Forward Planning and Delivery Unit to identify areas of need, forecast demand, and deliver public supply within the childcare sector where required.
This Unit is developing a forward planning model to assist in identifying where unmet need/demand and areas of low supply exist. The model will seek to identify the nature and volume of different types of early learning and childcare places across the country and how that aligns with the numbers of children in the corresponding age cohorts at local area level. This model will be central to my Department's plans to achieve the policy goals set out in the Programme for Government to build an affordable, high-quality, accessible early childhood education and care system, with State-led facilities adding capacity.
This Unit is also responsible for public capital investment in the sector. The Building Blocks Extension Grant Scheme was launched on the 4th of November 2024. Applications for this scheme have now closed and an appraisal process has begun. The primary focus of the Extension Grant Scheme is to increase capacity in the 1–3-year-old, pre–ECCE, age range for full day care. Appraisal of applications for this scheme will consider the supply and demand in the area around the proposed projects and seeks to prioritise funding for areas with the biggest supply/demand mismatch. €25m will be made available this year to deliver additional capacity under the Scheme and I expect to announce the outcome of the application process in the coming weeks.
The Programme for Government also commits for the first time to provide capital investment to build or purchase state-owned early learning and childcare facilities, to create additional capacity in areas where unmet need exists. State ownership of early learning and childcare facilities is a very substantial and significant shift in the policy direction that the Department has pursued heretofore (i.e. privately delivered provision with increased levels of public funding and public management) and offers the potential for much greater scope to influence the nature and volume of provision available and to ensure better alignment with estimated demand.
Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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678. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the action that has been undertaken in furtherance of the stated commitment in the Programme for Government to enhance parental choice through support for public providers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15784/25]
Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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679. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the action that has been undertaken in furtherance of the stated commitment in the Programme for Government to enhance parental choice through support for private providers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15785/25]
Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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681. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the action that has been undertaken in furtherance of the stated commitment in the Programme for Government to enhance parental choice through support for community provision; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15787/25]
Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 678, 679 and 681 together.
Considerable reform has been implemented in the early learning and childcare sector in recent years through increased public management and public funding. The framework for reform of the sector is set out in Partnership for the Public Good, the 2021 report of an Expert Group which was established to develop a new funding model for the sector.
The key theme of the recommendations in the report was to strengthen State involvement and enhanced public management in the sector, in conjunction with increased State funding.
The total allocation for early learning and childcare in 2025 is €1.37 billion - €1.25 billion of which is allocated through Together for Better, the funding model for early learning and childcare, specifically:
- €269.3m for the ECCE programme
- €80.9m for the Access and Inclusion Model (AIM)
- €529.8m for the National Childcare Scheme (NCS)
- €17.2m for Equal Start.
- €353.2m for Core Funding
In addition, capital funding is being allocated by my Department to the early learning and childcare sector under the revised National Development Plan. This is enabling significant investment in early learning and childcare. The Building Blocks Extension Grant Scheme is being operated this year. Under the scheme, applicants must deliver additional full-time capacity for 1-3 year olds. Under the scheme, private service may apply for capital funding to extend their existing premises. Community services may apply for capital funding to extend their existing premises or to purchase or construction new premises.
In relation to public delivery, the Programme for Government contains a commitment for the first time to public provision and to capital investment to build or purchase State-owned facilities. Some early scoping work has been carried out to explore options to introduce a segment of public provision. This will require much more detailed and extensive policy development and design in order progress to implementation stage, having regard to the wider policy emerging policy context as set out in the Programme for Government.
There are different understandings of what public provision means to stakeholders in the sector. Issues relating to staff employment, pay and conditions; ownership and management of buildings; operating models; governance arrangements; service offering; appropriate level of supply of services; fees for parents; and the overall funding model are being examined by officials.
Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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680. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the action that has been undertaken in furtherance of the stated commitment in the Programme for Government to enhance parental choice though support for childminders; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15786/25]
Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The Programme for Government commits to publishing "a detailed Action Plan to build an affordable, high-quality, accessible early childhood education and care system with State-led facilities adding capacity. This plan will enhance parental choice through ongoing support for public, private and community provision, as well as childminders'.
It further states that 'Childminding plays a significant role in the provision of early years and school aged care and should remain a viable choice for parents'. It goes on to commit to:
- 'Extend the National Childcare Scheme to childminders working in the family home, with sensible regulations that fit home-based care',
- 'Support childminders through the Tusla registration process and expand access to local training opportunities', and
- 'Continue to provide grants that help childminders improve safety and quality through essential toys, equipment, and technology'.
The childminding-specific Regulations are designed to be proportionate and appropriate to the home and family setting in which childminders work. The regulations differ substantially from regulations for centre-based childcare.
The 2024 Act provides for a transition period of three years before registration becomes mandatory. This phased approach aims to facilitate the largest possible number of childminders to enter the regulated sector, the sphere of quality assurance, and access to Government subsidies, while recognising the time and supports required for childminders to learn about and prepare for registration.
During the transition period, supports are available for childminders at local level through the City and County Childcare Committees. Each City and County Childcare Committee employs a Childminding Development Officer, who provides a range of supports to local childminders, including a short pre-registration training course. The 2025 round of the Childminding Development Grant is currently open for applications (until 4th April), through the City and County Childcare Committees.
The National Action Plan for Childminding commits to a review of the initial implementation of the childminding-specific Regulations before 2028. My Department will undertake this review, which will include consultation with childminders and other stakeholders, during the transition period.
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