WHILE MORE INVESTMENT in the Early Years (EY) and School Age Care (SAC) sector is welcome, Budget 2024 has not provided the radical rethink which was needed to bring Ireland in line with the best countries in the world for young children.

In our pre-budget submission, Early Childhood Ireland had called on the Government to publish a five-year plan for implementing additional investment in the sector, as well as unifying existing funding programmes, increasing graduate premiums, and implementing better data recommendations from the Partnership for the Public Good. Regrettably, no new target or plan was announced in Budget 2024, meaning continuing uncertainty for families and settings.

€4bn needed for the Early Years sector

In order to bring Ireland in line with the EU average of spending on the Early Years and School Age Care sector, there is a compelling need for a five-year plan for implementing additional investment, to reach €4bn or 1% of GDP by 2029.

While the Government’s investment package of €1.1bn is welcomed, it represents an additional €83 million for the whole “early learning and childcare” sector for 2024. Unfortunately, this falls short of the level of investment that is needed to improve quality for children in Early Years and School Age Care settings.

The National Childcare Scheme (NCS)

The National Childcare Scheme (NCS) provides financial support to families with their Early Years and School Age Care costs. We are pleased to hear that there will be improvements to the National Childcare Scheme (NCS) for children experiencing disadvantage. We have yet to see the full details of this measure, but we hope that the increased rate in the NCS for vulnerable children and families will be implemented immediately.

While the further 25% reduction in Early Years and School Age Care fee reductions for many families is a positive, parents will be disappointed not to see those further decreases until well into next year. This will, no doubt, impact many parents’ ability to return to or remain, at work.

We look forward to the extension of the National Childcare Scheme to the vital area of Childminding. It is imperative that the childminding-specific regulations are introduced as soon as possible, so that childminders can register with Tusla, thus allowing parents to benefit from the scheme.

Access and Inclusion Model (AIM)

The Access and Inclusion Model (AIM) provides universal support to pre-school settings, and targeted supports, which focus on the needs of the individual child, without requiring a diagnosis of a disability.

We are heartened to see that the AIM will be extended beyond the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme hours. This has long been sought by Early Childhood Ireland and early years and school age care settings throughout Ireland.

Core funding

Core funding is an annual grant to Early Years and School Age Care providers towards their operating costs. In return for core funding, providers agree to freeze their fees to parents. The Department of Children has said that there will be more information about plans to increase core funding by some €44m over the next two years to support improved pay and conditions for the workforce, as well as sustainability for providers.

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It is absolutely vital that the terms and conditions for staff are addressed, and the sector’s 30,000-strong workforce is not left at the mercy of an annual wage negotiation process. It was noteworthy this week to hear that the National Minimum Wage will increase to €12.70, which is just 95c under what is currently on the table at the ongoing Employment Regulation Order talks to set minimum rates of pay in various sectors.

Tackling disadvantage

The proposal to develop a new initiative, the ‘Equal Participation Model’, which will be focused on disadvantaged families is positive. This is an important milestone, and we look forward to working closely with the Department of Children and other stakeholders to develop it further.

While the recent investment in the Early Years and School Age Care sector must be commended, the investment was coming from a very low base. The Early Years and School Age Care sector needs a paradigm shift in how it is delivered. Ireland’s youngest citizens have a right to quality education and care and this can only be achieved by substantial public funding and long-term planning.

We at Early Childhood Ireland believe that a plan is needed to create a unified, publicly funded model of Early Years and School Age care that builds on the existing system and incentivises the recruitment and retention of a graduate workforce, is affordable for parents, and crucially, places children’s rights and their wellbeing at its heart. Baby steps towards this were taken this week when we needed to see a giant leap for children.

Frances Byrne is Director of Policy with Early Childhood Ireland, a role she has held since 2017. The organisation works to ensure that every young child is thriving and learning in quality Early Learning and Care and School Age Childcare in centre based and childminding settings.