Kathleen Funchion (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein)
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96. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will confirm the number of early years services that have been unsuccessful for the sustainability grant by county, in tabular form; the reasons given; and the supports that his Department offer those turned down to ensure future applications are successful. [32487/23]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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My Department oversees a case management process, through which local City and County Childcare Committee (CCCs) and Pobal work together to assess and provide support to all Early Learning and Care (ELC) and School Age Care (SAC) services experiencing difficulties, and through which Sustainability Funding may be granted should the need arise.

Under the direction of my Department, Pobal co-ordinate the overall case management process with the CCC administering on-the-ground case management assistance. This can include help for services with completing and interpreting analysis of staff ratios and cash flow, as well as more specialised advice and support appropriate to individual circumstances.  

In some instances, financial supports through Sustainability Funding may be appropriate, in tandem with this case management process. Pobal undertake a detailed financial review of any service wishing to apply for sustainability funding in order to assess their financial eligibility and need for funding. At the conclusion of this process, Pobal decide on the basis of the funding criteria and the information gathered whether or not to recommend sustainability funding. These recommendations come to my Department for decision.

In 2022, I introduced a new strand of Sustainability Funding to ensure that Partner Services, whether community or private, would remain sustainable with the introduction of the new funding model, which includes public management requirements, like the fee freeze. To date, no service has received funding under the new strand of Sustainability Funding. Two services completed the process to access this funding and both were deemed ineligible for the funding. Please see below in tabular form.

It should be noted that while these services did not meet the eligibility requirements for Sustainability Funding, all ineligible services can continue to avail of the aforementioned operational supports through the Case Management Process should they choose to. If a services circumstances change, they may be re-assessed for Sustainability Funding and can seek this through their CCC.

If any service has viability concerns, I would encourage them to reach out to their local CCC to start availing of supports through the aforementioned case management process.