Emer Currie (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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644. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of early years students on degree courses (NFQ Level 7 and above) who attended work placements in early years settings in 2023 and 2024; the number of new early years graduates (NFQ Level 7 and above) who began working in early years settings in 2023 and 2024; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35438/25]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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As the State does not employ staff nor does it have an official register of staff working in Early Learning and Care and School-Age Childcare sector, the Department does not hold official information regarding either the number of early years students who attend work placements in settings or new graduates with a recognised qualification who begin working in settings.

However, the Department has obtained data through the HEA and Private Higher Education Institutions on the number of graduate qualifying in approved Early Childhood Education and Care courses at National Framework of Qualifications Award Levels 7 or 8 in 2022 and 2023. Data on 2024 graduates is not currently available.

No. of Persons awarded Childcare qualifications at National Framework Qualification Level 7 or 8 approved by the Qualifications Advisory Board:

I am committed to growing the number of graduates in the sector and achieving our aim of a graduate-led workforce. First 5, the whole-of-Government strategy for babies, young children and their families, recognises that the workforce is at the heart of high-quality early learning and care. The evidence suggests that children achieve better outcomes when staff are well qualified. This is undisputed internationally. Nurturing Skills, The Workforce Plan for Early Learning and Care and School-Age Childcare, 2022-2028, seeks to continue to build on commitments in First 5 to develop an appropriately skilled and sustainable professional workforce, and includes a commitment and actions to achieve a graduate-led workforce by 2028.

To support this objective, the new Nurturing Skills Learner Fund was launched in December 2023 in order to help early years educators to undertake approved degree-level qualifications while continuing to work in the early learning and care sector. For the academic year 2024/2025, the first year of the scheme, 350 applicants were successful and received Nurturing Skills Learning Fund support. Recently, in continuation of the scheme a further 365 applicants were successful and will receive Nurturing Skills Learning Fund support for the academic year 2025/2026.