Jen Cummins (Dublin South Central, Social Democrats)
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482. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the supports, including capital or operational funding, planned for voluntary early-years providers in Dublin south central, particularly those facing rising costs. [40310/25]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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In September 2024, my Department commenced the roll-out of Equal Start, a major model of supports to ensure children experiencing disadvantage can access and meaningfully participate in early learning and childcare.

Equal Start is designed to be developed and rolled out in phases. Services with the highest level of need are targeted in the early phases.

Since September 2024, Equal Start settings have been receiving funding for additional staffing hours that can be used to support engagement between the settings and families, as well as other child and family support services. An allocation of more than €11,700,000 is provided for Staffing Supports payments in Budget 2025.

788 settings (serving 35,000 children - 4,700 from priority cohorts) identified as operating in a context of concentrated disadvantage have been given Equal Start designation. Of these, 55% are community (not for profit) services. A total of 132 of the 199 (66%) Equal Start designated services that are located in Dublin City and South Dublin are community (not for profit) services. Of this, a total of 32 out of 55 Equal Start services in South Dublin and 100 out of 144 Equal Start services in Dublin City are community (not for profit) services.

Funding for additional measures will be requested in budgets during the lifetime of Equal Start. Equal Start supports will be fully rolled out in three phases over a five-year period, with full implementation within the lifetime of First 5 – by 2028.

The Building Blocks Extension Grant Scheme was launched on 4th November 2024. The closing date for applications was 30th January. There were four strands to the scheme: Community Construction, Community Extension, Community Purchasing and Private Extension. 

A total of 78 applications were received with 50 successful applicants progressing to the next stage of the grant process. 

The approach to capital investment in future years is currently being developed in the context of the Programme for Government commitments and the revision to the National Development Plan which is ongoing.

Consideration in this regard is being given to the possibility for future capital programmes, including potentially operating a further scheme to support the expansion of provision by existing operators as well as implementing the commitment to capital investment in State-owned facilities. My Department is considering all aspects of a future programme, including prioritising investment in areas with the greatest need for provision.

Discussions on updates to the National Development Plan between my Department and the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform are ongoing.  My officials continue to regularly engage with colleagues across Government on the review, the outcome of which will determine the timing and scale of future capital investment initiatives.

My Department continues to support services through Core Funding, including community services.

From September  it is set to be worth over €390 million contingent on the establishment of new minimum rates of pay in the sector through updated Employment Regulation Orders.

Core Funding is a grant to providers designed to support quality, sustainability, and enhanced public management, with associated conditions in relation to fee control and cost transparency, incorporating funding for administration and to support the employment of graduate staff.

It is a matter for individual providers to decide whether they wish to participate in the Core Funding scheme, the significant financial supports it offers to providers and the certainty it gives to parents through the associated fee management. However, I am confident that there is a sufficient level of investment ad associated supports to make participation attractive.  Indeed, 99% of community services participate.

In South Dublin 90% of all eligible services, made up of both not-for-profit and for profit service are participating in the scheme, and in Dublin City 87% of all eligible providers are currently signed up to the scheme.

Special supports are also available  from my Department where a service is experiencing financial difficulty or has concerns about their viability, accessed through local City or County Childcare Committee (CCC), which can be accessed while remaining within Core Funding. Additionally, my Department oversees a system of case management through which local CCC assist services with issues and difficulties that arise.

In some instances, financial supports may be deemed appropriate in tandem with the case management process. These supports can be accessed by any Core Funding Partner Service by contacting their local CCC.