Written answer
Early Childhood Care and Education
624. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the cost of providing continuous professional development under quality training from city/county childcare committees; in particular diversity, equality and inclusion training, the Always Children First training and the Introduction to Aistear, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24961/24]
Comment on this
Continuous Professional Development (CPD) is the term used to describe any learning activities that an early years educator /school-age childcare practitioner engages in consciously and proactively as a professional to develop and enhance their knowledge and skills.
My Department funds 30 City/County Childcare Committees (CCCs) to act as its local agent in the delivery of national early learning and childcare programmes and the implementation of Government policy.
The role of the CCCs is to provide support and guidance to local service providers and parents in relation to the various early learning and childcare programmes, and support quality in keeping with national frameworks and policy objectives. CCCs also play a role in facilitating the delivery of some CPD courses to early years educators and school-age childcare practitioners on behalf of my Department.
In addition to the CCC annual funding, a separate funding allocation is provided to CCCs for quality development supports, a proportion of which supports the delivery of quality development training.
The table outlines the funding provided to CCCs in 2024. It includes the 2024 overall budget allocation*. It also includes a breakdown for quality development related supports including the delivery of CPD courses and a separate breakdown for the delivery of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion training.
* This breakdown does not include funding under separate areas such as supports specific to the Ukraine Response, Access and Inclusion supports or Childminding Development Officers. It is not possible to break down the CCCs' overall budget allocation in such a way as to distinguish the staff time and other costs used for all CPD.