MINISTER FOR Children Barry Andrews has insisted there will be sufficient numbers of childcare places available to provide a year’s free pre-school for every child in the State from January next year.
Fine Gael has dismissed the plans as a “pipe dream” and said it would be impossible to create a sufficient number of places to meet the anticipated demand. However, at a childcare conference at the weekend, the Minister said he was confident there would be sufficient childcare places as a result of spare capacity in the system.
Under the new initiative, an estimated 70,000 children aged between three-years three-months and four and a half at 1st September next will qualify for the scheme in January 2010.
Mr Andrews said he estimated about 61,000 of this age group were already in some form of community childcare or pre-school service. He said there was a high vacancy rate as a result of the downturn, which could be as high as a further 22,000 places.
A census of pre-school services is due to carried out in September to collect additional data on childcare provision across the State and help identify any potential gaps.
Speaking to an audience of childcare providers at a conference organised by the Irish Pre-School Playgroup Association, Mr Andrews said he was aware some Opposition TDs had claimed the plan would never be realised.
“Rather than bow to such criticism and paucity of ambition, I am asking you to join with me and my office to implement one of the most exciting steps ever taken in this country in terms of the provision of early childhood care and education.
“There will be challenges and hills to climb, but let us take those steps together and put in place a structure that is strong, durable and most importantly serves children for generations to come.”
Officials at the Minister’s office will be in contact with all pre-school services that are notified to the HSE by the end of the month to provide details of the scheme. It will then be a matter for services to apply for entry to the scheme during June and July, he said.
This timeframe will enable parents to contact participating services in their area during October and November of this year to enrol their child for January. In many cases, he said children may already be enrolled in a playschool or a full- or part-time service which chooses to enter the scheme.
Mr Andrews said he believed the real winners from pre-school plan would be disadvantaged and marginalised children, who are less likely to benefit from pre-school provision. “It is my view that very harshness of the environment that we currently find ourselves in served to underpin the need to, and importance of, supporting children in their most critical developmental period.”
The pre-school year – which will cost around €170 million – will replace the annual €1,000 early childcare supplement paid to families with children under five, which costs the State almost €500 million. An annual capitation grant of over €2,400 will be payable to pre-school services participating in the scheme.
Parents who avail of the pre-school year in a playschool will be entitled to a free provision of five weekly sessions of three hours per day for 38 weeks per annum.
The Office of the Minister for Children has established a helpline 1890 303039 to deal with queries. Further information will be posted on the office’s website, www.omc.gov.ie
