601. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the supports or grants available to encourage more people to provide after school childminding services, considering the significant pressures on existing creches and services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36282/24]

The availability of high-quality early learning and childcare (which includes school aged childcare) is a key Government priority. Considerable investment has taken place in recent years to improve the resourcing, quality and availability of early learning and childcare.

In September 2022, I launched Together for Better, the new funding model for early learning and childcare (ELC). This new funding model supports the delivery of ELC for the public good, for quality and affordability for children, parents and families as well as stability and sustainability for providers. It has improved pay and conditions in the sector, affordability for parents as well as ensuring a stable income to providers.

Together for Better brings together four major programmes, the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme, including the Access and Inclusion Model (AIM), the National Childcare Scheme (NCS), Core Funding and the recently launched Equal Start model. Equal Start is a funding model and a set of associated universal and targeted measures to support access and participation in ELC and school-age childcare (SAC) for children and their families who experience disadvantage.

This is the start of a multi-annual investment plan – with investment this year exceeding €1.1 billion – achieving the First 5 investment target five years ahead of time.

Core Funding which has been in operation since 15 September 2022, is a payment to providers designed to meet the combined objectives of:

• Improved affordability for parents by ensuring that fees do not increase;

• Improved quality through, among other things, better pay and conditions for the workforce;

• Supporting the establishment of an Employment Regulation Order through the Joint Labour Committee;

• Supporting the employment of graduate staff; and

• Improved sustainability and stability for services.

Core Funding, which increased by 11% (to €287 million) in year 2, will increase again by another 15% in year 3 (to €331 million). While Core Funding is optional, it has achieved high levels of participation.

More children than ever, over 181,000, are benefitting from subsidies under the National Childcare Scheme (NCS). Since September 2022, the upper age eligibility for the NCS Universal award increased from 3 years of age to 15 years of age meaning more parents could avail of subsidies for school-aged children. Furthermore, as of 2 September 2024, the minimum NCS rate has increased from €1.40 to €2.14 meaning that parents may receive a higher rate towards their ELC, including after-school and childminders.

Also of note is the extension of funding supports and regulation to childminders who are currently outside the scope of regulation under the National Action Plan for Childminding 2021-2028. The Child Care (Amendment) Act 2024, which was enacted in July, will remove the legal exemption of childminders from regulation. Childminding specific regulations are due to be commenced, along with the opening of the Tusla registration process, at the end of September 2024. Following registration, childminders will be able to take part in the NCS.

A list of early learning and childcare services participating in the NCS, including childminders, is available on: www.ncs.gov.ie/en/childcare-search/

This year, I established a Supply Management Unit within the Early Learning and Care and School Age Childcare Division of my Department. A key part of the Supply Management Unit’s remit is to develop capacity for monitoring, analysing and forecasting of supply and demand. The development of a forward planning model is currently underway. The model will seek to identify the nature and volume of different types of ELC and SAC places across the country, whether or not those places are occupied and how that aligns with the numbers of children in the corresponding age cohorts at local area level.

Since 2020, there has been a significant increase in the number of stand-alone SAC services registered with Tusla, with 546 more services now on the Tusla register. At the end of Q1 2024, there was a total of 2,546 registered school-age services. The latest data on new service registrations and service closures provided to my Department by the Tusla Early Years Inspectorate for January to July this year shows a net increase of 39 standalone SAC services.

According to latest data, almost 17% of all ELC services are located in schools. The scope for wider use to be made of school buildings is a matter for the Department of Education and the various patrons that govern schools across the country. The Department of Education policy is to encourage the use of school facilities, where possible, for community, training and education-related activities, including ELC.

To assist schools in considering applications for use of their facilities, the Department of Education recently published Procedures on the use of School Buildings outside of School Hours. To encourage the greater use of such facilities, the Department of Education has committed to provide schools with a guarantee that any income from after-school use of their facilities will not affect their State grants, capitation fees or any other form of departmental funding.