Ó An Roinn Leanaí, Comhionannais, Míchumais, Lánpháirtíochta agus Óige
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Roderic O’Gorman, Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, has today announced a €45 million Capital Grant for the Early Learning and Childcare Sector. The Building Blocks – Capacity Grant is part of a wider Building Blocks Capital Programme for Early Learning and Childcare under the revised National Development Plan 2021-2030 (NDP).
The purpose of the Building Blocks - Capacity Grant is to address capacity gaps by expanding existing provision and investing in the development of new provision where most needed.
The primary focus of the Capacity Grant is to increase capacity in the 1-3 age range for full day or part-time care. Places for children under age 1 will also be eligible for funding. The Capacity Grant will be open to Core Funding partner services.
The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth is undertaking a detailed needs analysis of supply and demand for Early Learning and Childcare. This analysis will identify areas of undersupply across the country and will allow the funding to be targeted at areas most in need.
Welcoming the announcement, Minister O’Gorman said:
“This Capacity Grant will deliver thousands of Early Learning and Childcare places in areas where they are needed most. It will build on the success of significant capital investment in the sector over the past twenty years, including the Equal Opportunities Childcare Programme and the National Childcare Investment Programme through which the State has funded more than 90,000 places."
He added:
"The implementation of capital funding on this basis will deliver supply for age categories and service providers where there is proven need. By adopting this approach, my department will ensure that services ready to expand capacity through smaller-scale renovations and upgrades can begin works in early 2024. Services will also be afforded time to prepare larger-scale project plans, where needed, to submit applications under the scheme, and to commence those projects during 2024. The network of City and County Childcare Committees will act as a support for services considering applying for funding.”
In addition to the Building Blocks – Capacity Grant, the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth is progressing a range of actions to ensure the supply of Early Learning and Childcare meets demand, including:
Minister O’Gorman also noted the current difficulties around staff recruitment and retention, which are the largest constraint on capacity growth in the sector. The historic Employment Regulation Orders (ERO) introduced last year, supported by Core Funding, were a significant milestone in efforts to improve pay in the sector, with an additional €4 million allocated in year 2 of Core Funding to support the removal of the 3-year experience rule for graduate premiums, subject to updated ERO, which are under negotiation by the independent Joint Labour Committee. In addition, the workforce plan for the sector - Nurturing Skills - includes specific actions to support the recruitment and retention of staff.
Minister O’Gorman thanked the network of thirty City and County Childcare Committees, who, along with Pobal, are working closely with his department on the design and delivery of the Building Blocks schemes.
The Capacity Grant will be split into two strands, an Expansion Grant Scheme, and a larger-scale Extension Grant Scheme. Both schemes will operate from 2024.
Service providers may be awarded funding under one of the Expansion Grant Scheme or Extension Grant Scheme only. The allocation of funding under the Capacity Grant will be informed by the results of a detailed needs analysis, which is underway, and which will identify capacity gaps and areas and categories of need.
The remaining €10 million has been earmarked for a range of capital expenditure programmes, including childminding initiatives, ICT investment and sustainability capital projects. Further details of these programmes will issue in the coming months.