Written Answers Nos. 641-660
641. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality as per her Department’s announcement in March, to clarify and outline on what date successful applicants of the children’s disability services grant will be provided funding under the grant; the amount of funding to be provided to them; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35403/25]
View answerIn October 2023, the HSE, in conjunction with the Department of Children, Disability and Equality, launched an open call for applications for the Children’s Disability Service Grant Fund. The Children’s Disability Service Grant Fund is an initiative detailed under action 2.7 of the Roadmap for Service Improvement 2023-2026, Disability Services for Children and Young People.
HSE Evaluation Process
A CDS Grant Scheme Evaluation Panel was formed to assess all applications based on the following criteria:
• Quality and coherence of proposal;
• Contribution to wellbeing of children and families;
• Potential lasting impact;
• Capacity and sustainability of providers to deliver person-centred services and comply with standards;
• Value for money.
Due to the sheer volume of applications and the additional administrative work involved in co-ordinating and collating the proposals, the HSE had to revise the anticipated time-frame for the assessment process and the award of funding to successful proposals.
Confirmation of Funding
It was confirmed on 25th March 2025 that the Department of Children, Disability and Equality had secured sanction for the €8m Grant Fund, with funding allocated from the €3.2 billion disability services budget.
The HSE will engage with the shortlisted applicants regarding the financial and governance requirements in relation to the delivery of projects.
643. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will commit to funding a community neuro-rehabilitation team for the southeast in Budget 2026, in line with the Programme for Government commitment to complete the national rollout. [34817/25]
View answer652. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will confirm that the promised uplift of the community neurorehabilitation team in the mid west region will take place in 2025, as committed to by the HSE; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35728/25]
View answer653. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality when the community neurorehabilitation team in the mid west region, which provides critical therapies including physiotherapy, speech and language, psychology and so on to neurological patients, will be funded to increase the number of posts from 6 to 12, as stipulated in the national neurorehabilitation strategy and in the Action Plan for Disability Services 2024-2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35729/25]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 643, 652 and 653 together.
As this question refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
644. Deputy Emer Currie asked 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]
View answerAs 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:
|
Year |
Number of Graduates |
|
2022 |
1623 |
|
2023 |
1601 |
The Department is currently awaiting a Central Statistical Office report on Early Learning Care Graduate Outcomes that is due in the coming months.
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.
645. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether any costing has been done on integrating early years mental health supports into childcare settings, including inpatient child therapeutic interventions or staff training. [35471/25]
View answerI can inform the Deputy that as part of Tusla’s Infant and Early Child Mental Health work the inclusion of Early Years Practitioners in the Solihull Training programme is currently being considered. In addition a Play Therapy pilot, funded by What Works using Dormant Accounts Funding, is running in certain ELC settings, to test the viability of play therapy in such settings. At this time no costings have been done on integrating early years mental health supports into childcare settings or staff training. Inpatient child mental health therapeutic interventions are a matter for the HSE and Department of Health.
646. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if an NTPF type scheme exists for those waiting for an assessment of needs; the way they can apply; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35475/25]
View answerAs this question refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
647. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to list all the public services contracts worth €10 million or more, which have been granted by herself or the forerunner for her Department, or other State bodies in the past five years; the value of each contract; the length of term of each; the expiration date of each contract; and whether any contract was discontinued during its term and for what reason. [35478/25]
View answerThe information sought is set out in the table below.
Bodies under the aegis of my Department will respond directly to the Deputy.
|
Supplier |
Description of Contract |
Estimated Value of Contract €(Exc VAT) |
Start Date |
End Date (not including optional extensions) |
Total Duration of Contract |
|
|
7 Framework Members: Allpro / Antares Way Limited / Aramark / Bridgestock Care Limited / Excellent Choice / Onsite Facilities Management / Pastures New |
CFT 2678152 Multi Supplier Framework Agreement for the provision of Facilities Management and Ancillary Services (e.g., Housekeeping/Cleaning, Catering, Security and Supervision, Maintenance) for accommodation centres for persons fleeing the war in Ukraine and/or international protection applicants |
€160,000,000 |
28/06/2024 |
28/06/2026 |
24 Months with 2 optional extensions of 12 Months each. |
This Framework Agreement subsequently migrated to the Dept. of Justice as part of the transfer of functions that took place in April-May 2025. |
|
(1) KPMG - Primary Contractor (2) Evelyn Partners (Ireland) Limited - Secondary Contractor. |
OGP SRFT 3927580 The provision of Accounting Staff to Support Grant Management and other Accounting Services (OGP Framework for the Provision of Accounting, Audit and Financial Advisory Services Lot 2). |
€10,598,400 |
22/10/2024 |
22/10/2026 |
24 Months with 2 optional extensions of 12 Months each. |
|
|
Relatecare Services Ltd (part of Rigney Relate Holdings Limited) |
OGP SRFT 236114 The provision of Contract Management and Related Administrative Services for the Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme |
€10,000,000 - €13,000,000 |
28/11/2023 |
28/11/2029 |
72 Months with 2 optional extensions of 12 Months each. |
648. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the estimated full-year cost of increasing childcare subsidies to 100% of fees paid by parents availing of childcare subsidies from the national childcare scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35658/25]
View answerThe Deputy has requested the cost of increasing the NCS subsidy so that 100% of fees are covered by the NCS.
It is not possible to provide an accurate estimation at this time. To model a change such as this accurately would require individualised fee data on out of pocket costs for parents. Each year Pobal compiles data from Early Learning and Care (ELC) and School Age Childcare (SAC) providers as part of the Early Years Sector Profile. This provides the Department with data on the average weekly fee per child before subsidies. However, this average fee figure does not accurately capture the variation across the ELC and SAC sector. These fees vary significantly based on the location of the service, usage patterns (i.e. sessional, part-time, full time) and age of the child.
Additionally, sufficient time would be required to model such a change capturing the behavioural shift that would occur as a result of this change including increases in labour market participation, changes in usage of childcare and use of formal childcare for the first time.
The Programme for Government has committed to establishing a cap on costs at €200 per child per month to further build on significant progress in affordability that has already been made through a number of existing Schemes. A detailed Action Plan to build an affordable, high-quality, accessible early learning and childcare system will be developed, informed by stakeholder consultation. This will include the steps to deliver a €200 per child per month cap on childcare costs for families and outline the timeline to achieve this. As part of this process, thorough and accurate modelling of childcare costs around the country will be carried out.
649. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the estimated full-year cost of providing free school meals for all pre-school children in the ECCE scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35659/25]
View answerThe full-year cost of providing a nutritious meal to all children attending the ECCE Programme is approximately €31m.
This calculation is based on the following assumptions:
• €1.50 rate of daily capitation
• 108,000 children in ECCE
• 5 day programme week
• 38 week programme year
• Resourcing a healthy eating educational programme for Early Learning and Care settings
This cost estimate comes with a number caveats. Importantly the daily capitation rate is indicative only. In addition, this estimate does not include any administrative funding for services to deliver the meals to children via the ECCE Programme.
An Additional Nutrition Programme is currently under development under the Equal Start funding model. Equal Start is a funding model and set of universal and targeted measures to support access and full participation in Early Learning and Care (ELC) and School-Age Childcare (SAC) for children and their families who experience disadvantage.
A total of €17.18m has been allocated for Equal Start in 2025, which is supporting foundational groundwork and progress on a number of key actions.
To date, 788 settings (serving 35,000 children - 4,700 from priority cohorts) identified as operating in a context of concentrated disadvantage have been given ‘priority designation’. Since September 2024, these settings have been receiving funding for additional staff that can be used to support engagement between the settings and families, as well as other child and family support services. The Programme for Government has committed to “continue to build up the Equal Start programme, ensuring children experiencing disadvantage can access and participate fully in early learning and childcare.”
650. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the estimated full-year cost of increasing wages for all childcare workers by €2 an hour via a public subsidy; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35660/25]
View answerI firmly believe that the level of pay for early years educators and school-age childcare practitioners should reflect the value of their work for children, families, society and the economy.
Investment in early learning and childcare is now at an unprecedented level, with public funding exceeding €1.37 billion in 2025. As well as addressing affordability, this investment has served to improve accessibility, availability and the quality of provision.
However, the State is not an employer of staff and neither I, nor my Department, set pay or working conditions. The Joint Labour Committee process is the formal mechanism by which employer and employee representatives can negotiate minimum pay rates for the sector.
Outcomes from the Joint Labour Committee process are supported by Government through Core Funding, which has seen its allocation increase from €259 million in year 1 to €350 million for the coming programme year 2025/2026.
An additional €45 million has been ringfenced in the coming programme year to support employers meet the costs of further increases to the minimum rates of pay conditional on updated Employment Regulation Orders.
On the basis of February 2025 data supplied by Partner Services taking part in Core Funding, the estimated cost to employers of raising all of the minimum pay rates specified in the current Employment Regulation Order by €2.00 is approximately €155 million.
This figure represents the additional cost to employers of bringing staff, from their current wage or the minimum pay rates set out in the current Employment Regulation Orders (whichever is higher) up to the new pay rate set out in the Deputy's question.
In relation to the cost estimate provided above, the following should be noted:
• the cost estimate is based on staff who had an hourly wage recorded in service providers’ submissions for Core Funding, but the Core Funding data has been extrapolated to provide an estimate for all staff working in the sector.
• the cost estimate is based on the most recent data available to the Department, which was provided by service providers in February 2025.
• the estimated costs are for the additional cost to employers of bringing staff, from their current wage or the minimum pay rates set out in the current EROs (whichever is higher), up to the new pay rate as set out in the question and includes employer costs of 23% for PRSI, sick pay, holiday pay and autoenrollment pensions.
• Calculations are based on wage-data available at a point in time. Some services may have increased wages more recently, which would reduce the cost to services of moving from current wage-rates to the proposed wage rates in the question.
• The cost estimates only relate to staff and managers covered by the current EROs, i.e. the estimates exclude the cost of ancillary staff.
• The cost estimates do not attempt to account for the potential cost implications for the wages of staff who are currently earning more than the increased rates above current ERO minimum rates.
• It should be noted that the figure above is the additional cost to employers rather than the additional costs to the State. Core Funding offers a contribution to staff costs. The €331m allocated for Core Funding may already support some employers to pay wage rates above ERO minimum rates.
651. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the estimated cost of hiring 375 additional clinicians required to clear assessment of needs waiting lists with autism; the estimated full-year cost of ensuring that the timelines for assessment of needs outlined in the Disability Act 2005 are met; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35661/25]
View answerAs this question refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
654. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality when the necessary works will be carried out at the Saoirse Centre in Athboy for the adult services; if the centre will be well secured with fencing prior to doors opening (details supplied). [35828/25]
View answerAs this question refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
655. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 712 of 24 June 2025, her plans to amend core funding to restrict the keeping of deposits where a child does not avail of a place, either at all, or within a prescribed period; and her plans to review the rates of maximum deposits that can be charged. [35979/25]
View answerI would like to thank the Deputy for the additional query in relation to Parliamentary Question No.712 of 24 June 2025.
As noted in the aforementioned Parliamentary Question, my Department is committed to ongoing engagement on this matter and will consider wider changes to Core Funding deposit rules for the 2026/2027 programme year. These considerations will include a review of the restrictions around deposits.
I would like to note that under the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Programme, which is administered by Pobal on the Department’s behalf, has comprehensive rules relating to deposits. For example,
• Services may not, under any circumstances, extract ECCE fees from parents/guardians including non-refundable and optional extra deposits.
• ECCE approved providers must give an accurate description and the total cost of a deposit requested on its Fee Table.
• The maximum deposit a provider may charge is equivalent to 4 weeks ECCE payment. This must appear on the Fee Table.
• The full ECCE deposit must be returned to the Parent/Guardian once the child’s registration has been approved on the EY HIVE.
• If a service is holding a legacy deposit from when the child first started attending the service that exceeds 4 times the weekly capitation amount for a child, €276 of that deposit must be returned to the Parent/Guardian once the child’s ECCE registration has been approved on the EY HIVE.
• An ECCE Approved Provider must retain all financial records relating to deposits from parents/guardians and evidence of return.
656. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the measures she is taking to provide extra resources and support to creches in Dunshaughlin (details supplied) in order to cater for the growing demand of creche and afterschool places.; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35988/25]
View answerImproving access to quality and affordable Early Learning and Care and School Age Childcare is a key priority of Government.
Demand for early learning and childcare beyond sessional pre-school provision is highly elastic and shaped very substantially by families' individual composition, circumstances, and preferences; employment patterns and income; and the price and availability of services.
Early learning and childcare capacity is increasing. Data from the Annual Early Years Sector Profile 2023/24 shows that the estimated number of enrolments increased by approximately 19% from the 2021/22 programme year. Core Funding application data shows that between Year 1 and Year 3 of the scheme, annual place hours increased by over 15%. The Tusla register of services demonstrates a net increase in the numbers of registered early learning and childcare services in 2024.
This is particularly the case with school age childcare services with 261 new school age childcare services having opened in 2024. However, it appears that demand for early learning and childcare remains higher than available supply in certain parts of the country, particularly for younger children.
My Department continues to support the ongoing development and resourcing of Core Funding which has given rise to a significant expansion of places since the scheme was first introduced. Core Funding, which is in its third programme year, funds services based on the number of places available. This provides stability to services, and reduces the risk associated with opening a new service or expanding an already existing service.
The Government is also supporting the expansion of capacity through capital funding. The Building Blocks Extension Grant Scheme is designed to increase capacity in the 1–3-year-old, pre–Early Childhood Care and Education, age range for full day care. Core Funding partner services could apply for capital funding to physically extend their premises or to construct or purchase new premises.
50 applications will be progressing to the next stage of the Building Blocks Extension Grant Scheme. These 50 applications come from a mix of Community Extension (24), Private Extension (7), Community Purchasing (4) and Community Construction (15) projects, which, when completed, will deliver 1,500 additional full time childcare places for 1-3 year olds. Two service in Meath were approved for funding under the scheme. I look forward to seeing how these projects progress over the coming months.
A forward planning model is in development which 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.
The forward planning model being developed draws on administrative data to map the child population and location of funded services, and GIS mapping tools to model the link between children and available services. This will enable the identification and comparison of areas of need with a consistent methodology.
The Programme for Government 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 facilities is a very substantial and significant development 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.
The approach to capital investment in future years is being considered within the context of the Programme for Government commitments and the revision to the National Development Plan which is ongoing.
657. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality her plans to extend the number of therapeutic hubs providing support to children in care across the country; whether more funding will be provided to Tusla to grow the number of therapeutic hubs and to resource them; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35999/25]
View answerTusla, the Child and Family Agency, is required under the Child and Family Agency Act (2013) to support and promote the welfare and protection of children; to support and encourage the effective functioning of families; and to provide services relating to the psychological welfare of children and their families (excluding the provision of specialist mental health services for children).
Tusla has committed to a strategic approach seeking to deliver an integrated framework for therapeutic services as part of a three-year plan to establish the high-level framework and operating model for Tusla Therapeutic Services. As part of this plan Tusla has established multi-disciplinary teams across six service areas by recruiting Speech and Language Therapists and Occupational Therapists to work with existing therapeutic staff such as psychologists.
Tusla has advised that the focus of these teams is on the early identification of therapeutic needs of children on admission to care, including children to be placed in foster care, which will inform their care plan. Tusla has advised that the teams in the six service areas are now nearly at full strength. I am also aware that it is an aim of Tusla that 100% of new children or young people coming into State care in the six areas where Therapeutic Teams have been funded will have multidisciplinary input into their care planning.
Tusla has set out a specific action within its 2025 Business Plan to enhance the provision of its therapeutic services at regional level in line with its reform programme, with €2.38m in expenditure planned for this purpose.
Budget 2025 saw record investment in Tusla's overall budget, with a 14% increase, amounting to an additional €145m, allocated to the Agency. Any additional funding requirements in respect of Tusla’s Therapeutic Services in the upcoming estimates process will be given due consideration by officials in my Department.
658. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of childcare places currently available in the constituency of east Cork [36033/25]
View answerEach year, Pobal compiles data from Early Learning and Care (ELC) and School Age Childcare (SAC) providers as part of the Early Years Sector Profile.
The most recent published capacity data for the 2023/24 programme year provides estimated data for enrolments by county boundaries.
Data from 2023/24 estimated that there were 17,663 children enrolled in ELC and SAC services in Cork County (note: this does not include Cork City). This data also indicated that 44% had at least one vacant place and an estimated 31% had a waiting list.
It is important to note that waiting list data should not be used as a measure of overall demand for ELC and SAC places. While waiting list data can be used to give an indication of demand for places for a given age group or service type not all services operate a waiting list. In addition, an individual child may be on multiple waiting lists in different services.
Further information can be found on the Early Learning and Childcare data website. The Capacity Section of the website provides information on the number of children enrolled, services with vacant places, and services with a waiting list.
659. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of new childcare places that have been opened in the constituency of east Cork for the years 2020 to 2025 respectively. [36034/25]
View answer660. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of childcare providers that have closed; the childcare places that have been lost as a result of these closures in the constituency of east Cork in each of the years 2020 to 2025, respectively.; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36035/25]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 659 and 660 together.
My Department is currently collating the information requested and a reply will issue directly to the Deputy in due course.
