625. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of early years educators who have completed continuous professional development under quality training from Better Start, in particular Hanen, Lámh, SPEL and Aistear and Play; the annual cost, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24962/24]

626. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the cost of providing continuous professional development under quality training from Better Start, in particular Hanen, Lámh, SPEL and Aistear and Play, in tabular form;; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24963/24]

I propose to take Questions Nos. 625 and 626 together.

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.

Extensive CPD activities – formal, non-formal and informal – are already undertaken by early learning and care (ELC) and school-age childcare (SAC) services and their staff. A wide range of courses, training initiatives and CPD opportunities have been available to ELC and SAC services and their staff, supported by Government, and rolled out through a diverse range of organisations including Better Start, City/County Childcare Committees (CCCs), National Voluntary Childcare Organisations (NVCOs), and education institutions.

Better Start was established in 2014 by my Department, in association with the Department of Education, to deliver quality-related supports to ELC services and to support a cohesive approach to State-funded supports for quality across the ELC sector.  Better Start coordinates the delivery of CPD, including Hanen Teacher Talk, Lámh Module One and Sensory Processing in Early Learning (SPEL). Better Start deliver 'Aistear & Play' CPD as part of the National Síolta Aistear Initiative suite of courses supporting the roll out of Aistear. Better Start is hosted by Pobal on behalf of my Department.

The Better Start Learner Management System will undergo further improvements in the coming months to allow for the national approach to CPD outlined in Nurturing Skills (the Workforce Plan for ELC and SAC 2022-2028) to be implemented. This will support the sector in identifying and accessing relevant CPD opportunities.

In 2023, Better Start received €16,798,000 in funding from my Department. Only part of the funding relates to the Quality Development Service and to the Learning and Development Unit, which provides training supports for the sector. The majority of Better Start costs relate to the Access and Inclusion Model (AIM). It is not possible to provide a more detailed breakdown of costs of specific training programmes.

The table below provides the number of individuals who completed CPD training through Better Start in specific courses in the year 2023. Training programmes are delivered each year to different groups of educators / practitioners.