Moatview Early Education Centre plays an absolutely vital role in the local community in Moatview, Dublin 17. If it closes - if action is not taken, that is exactly what may happen - it will leave a huge gap in the local community that will not be filled. It does excellent work. It takes in a lot of children with additional needs and looks after them very well. It has a huge funding deficit. Part of this arises from the centre not getting core funding a couple of years ago and this funding not being restored. Pobal needs to engage with Susan Russell, who is a brilliant manager, with Sinead Tucker and with all of the staff and work with them to resolve this issue. To date, Pobal has not engaged with Ms Russell, the manager. Public representatives have asked to meet with Pobal on the issue but Pobal has not met with them. I urge the Minister of State and the Government to act and to get Pobal to engage so that we can protect this really important childcare facility in the local community.

I echo Deputy O'Callaghan's points. I have visited Moatview Early Education Centre and I have met Susan Russell and the staff. They do great work. It is an area of serious disadvantage. This service has lasted since 1992, through many years, providing absolutely vital early learning education to local children. I cannot countenance the area losing this service. It would be an absolute travesty. I do not think it will. There is a tactical funding issue here. I think the centre is viable in the long term given that it has done so well since 1992 but there is a gap in funding because of the loss of core funding from Pobal. To echo Deputy O'Callaghan's point, we need Pobal to get involved and to work with the directors and the team to get these issues resolved in order that the service can continue, which I believe and hope it will, and in order that the children and parents get the education and service they deserve locally.

This issue has been raised and it will continue to be raised. We have all met Susan Russell and Sinead Tucker. The Department has confirmed to us that the budget has been approved. That sounds positive but the centre has still not received any money. Speaking to the parents would break your heart. The Department told me that the funding would enable the centre to remain operational while the board, Pobal and Dublin City Childcare Committee work together. However, I have again been contacted by the service, which says that it has had no meaningful contact from Pobal. To echo Deputies Ó Muirí and O'Callaghan, those involved do not feel supported. They feel abandoned. Pobal then confirmed that the funding is not intended to provide reimbursement. There is a serious issue there because people have used money to cover salaries, food and basic day-to-day running costs. Those contributions were fully disclosed. If that is disputed, somebody needs to sit down with the service and explain clearly what is covered and what is not. No one is argued against the need for things to be transparent but there also needs to be a sense of urgency. In the area I represent, parents are ringing me up and crying on the phone. We have all raised this through direct means. Children who have additional needs and who require support to be cared for in a service need support from Government. Will the Minister of State raise this issue with Pobal and with the Department with a view to arranging an urgent meeting with the staff?

I thank the Deputies for raising the issue of support for Moatview Early Education Centre. The Department supports the ongoing development of existing and new services in the sector through its range of funding schemes and support infrastructure, including city and county childcare committees. In particular, core funding offers supply side funding to services. Core funding is a grant to providers designed to support quality, sustainability and enhanced public management with associated conditions in relation to fee control and cost transparency. It incorporates funding for administration and to support the employment of graduate staff. The introduction of core funding in 2022 brought a significant increase in investment for the sector. This increased year-on-year and core funding is now worth €482 million in the current programme year.

I can confirm that the service in question is signed up to the core funding scheme for the current programme year. This will ensure the Department can continue to support the service’s sustainability. Following engagement with Dublin City Childcare Committee and Pobal in July, the Department approved a sustainability funding request from Pobal on 7 September totalling €22,342. Funding will be provided to top up the shortfall between overall income and identified operating costs with due regard to any efficiencies arising as operational changes are implemented. As a result, the overall grant value issued to the service is under consistent review and may either increase or decrease throughout the defined period of transition agreed by the board of directors of the service. This funding will enable the service to remain operational while the board of directors, Pobal and the Dublin City Childcare Committee determine the full scope of financial and non-financial supports required to place Moatview Early Education Centre on a sustainable footing for the new programme year. Payment will issue to the service provider once the Department is assured that the newly established board is fully aware of its legal responsibilities and that appropriate financial controls and oversight mechanisms are operational prior to the signing of the sustainability funding contract. The Department requires this assurance as it has a responsibility to safeguard Exchequer funds.

It is worth noting that the Department does not directly operate or manage early learning and childcare or school-age childcare services. Decisions about the day-to-day running of services ultimately lie with the board of directors. In this instance, it is a decision for the board of directors whether to fully engage with the Department's case management and sustainability funding process or to wind down the service.

The Deputy made the point that the Department and Pobal must engage fully with the service. I will ensure to take that point back. It is only with engagement that we can put it on a sustainable funding mechanism and continue to support it. I take that point loud and clear. I might answer further questions in my concluding remarks.

My apologies, but I will have to leave early. Why is Pobal insisting on dealing simply with the board of directors? Why will Pobal not deal with the manager, Susan Russell, who runs this small community childcare service and has done for decades? She has been running this successfully, day in, day out, for years. She is the person who, through her blood, sweat and tears, has run this and kept it open over the years. She is the person who is trying to engage with Pobal, but Pobal will not engage with her. Pobal has its criteria for how it wants to operate, but it is ignoring the manager on the ground who is running it. It is not working. That is what Pobal needs to do. I implore the Minister of State to work on that.

This is a good response. It sounds like there is a gap between the board of directors and the service. As Deputy O'Callaghan has mentioned, a very good and capable manager is running the service. Based on what we have heard, it looks like we need to get the directors to the table as well. I understand that the directors run what is a legal entity, and that is how Pobal will fund it. I get that. I appeal to Pobal and the directors. Let us get everybody around the table with the support of the Minister of State and Pobal, and get this resolved with the directors there as well, so that everything is clear.

I welcome the Minister of State's confirmation that the funding was approved on 7 September. That was sent to us. What the service is still telling us is that it is operating with minimum staff and may have to close classrooms. The outstanding question is when the money will be paid. Will the Minister of State urgently bring Pobal, Dublin City Council and Moatview together to resolve this immediately? The staff do not need another acknowledgment email. The parents are under immense stress. I welcome the statement from the Minister of State and thank him. What we need is a meeting, for the board of directors to be overseen, and for Susan Russell and Sinead Tucker to be dealt with directly.

This is very important. As with all childcare facilities across the country, it is vital that this is maintained. Moatview has been in operation since 1992, which is 34 years. It is probably putting the second or third generation through its hands at this stage. This is important. I will undertake to ensure that from the Department side and Pobal’s side, there will be serious engagement with the board of directors and the managers. I have no doubt that after operating for 34 years, the managers must be at the top of their game to keep facilities like that going. I will ask about this. The point the Deputies have made is that we need to bring everybody to the table to thrash out the issues. I will report that back to both Pobal and the Department, and ensure that engagement is meaningful so that Moatview can move forward.