Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 22 October 2024
663. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to provide a breakdown of the full-year cost of increasing ECCE capitation by 10%; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43282/24]
View answer664. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to provide a breakdown of the full-year cost of increasing ECCE capitation by 15%; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43283/24]
View answer665. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to provide a breakdown of the full-year cost of increasing ECCE capitation by 20%; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43284/24]
View answer666. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to provide a breakdown of the full-year cost of increasing ECCE capitation by 25%; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43285/24]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 663 to 666, inclusive, together.
The Deputy has separately requested a breakdown the full-year cost of increasing ECCE capitation by 10%, 15%, 20% and 25%. Due to the similarity of these PQs it is proposed that they should be taken together.
My Department funds private ELC service providers to provide the ECCE programme at a standard rate of €69 per week per child attending the ECCE programme.
In calculating the full year cost of increasing ECCE capitation by a certain percentage, the total budget allocation for the ECCE programme for 2025 (€269.25 million) was used. The percentage increase was then applied to the total Budget allocation to generate an additional cost of the proposed change.
The results are given in the below table:
|
ECCE capitation per child per week |
Full year cost of change |
|
|
Baseline |
€69 |
0 |
|
10% Increase |
€75.9 |
€26.93m |
|
15% Increase |
€79.35 |
€40.39m |
|
20% Increase |
€82.8 |
€53.85m |
|
25% Increase |
€86.25 |
€67.31m |
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.
