Relevant Matter
Public policy or programme
Public Policy Area
Children and Youth Affairs
Period
1 Sep, 2016 to 31 Dec, 2016
Specific Details
Measures to advance the quality of early education and care provided to young children, the sustainability of the Early Education and Care sector and affordability for parents. Includes the design of the Affordable Childcare Scheme; improving ECCE; administration systems; professionalisation of the sector; Inspections; the Early Years Strategy; AIM Programme; Out of School provision
Intended results
The design of the new Affordable Childcare Scheme (ACS) to take account of the realities of the sector, that it address sustainability and professionalisation, that it is easy for providers to administer and for there to be a fully developed consultation process to involve the sector in its design.
Development and early publication of the Early Years Strategy.
Development of the Learner Fund as a permanent and comprehensive range of supports for learners.
Increases in capitation and other changes in ECCE and other support schems to address sustainability of settings, better pay for Early Years Professionals, recognition of CPD and non-contact time, better supports for governance of Community-based settings
The development of a more coherent system for inspections, particularly between DES and Tusla systems.
Development of the Learner Fund as a permanent and comprehensive range of supports for learners.
A new initiative to pilot new collaborative models of childcare at a local level.
Successful implementation of the AIM programme to include children with additional needs in pre-schooling, and its extension to all children in early years settings.
Design of supports for Out of School care to be based on children's needs and being coherent with policy for the sector as a whole.
Improve the administrative systems that providers engage with for ECCE and other schemes.
Name of person primarily responsible for lobbying on this activity
Teresa Heeney
Did any Designated Public Official(DPO) or former Designated Public Official(DPO) carry out lobbying activities on your behalf in relation to this return? You must include yourself, and answer Yes, if you are a current DPO or a DPO at any time in the past. (What is a Designated Public Official?)
Yes
Current or Former Designated Public Official(s)
Donall Geoghegan (Former DPO)
Special Adviser (Department of the Taoiseach)
Did you manage or direct a grassroots campaign?
No
Was this lobbying done on behalf of a client?
No
Lobbying activity
The following activities occurred for this specific Subject Matter Area.
Phone call (31-50)
Phone calls on a wide range of the above subjects.
Event / Reception (1)
Hosting by Early Childhood Ireland of EECERA at DCU, Dublin, in September involving the Minister and officials from DCYA.
Designated public officials lobbied
The following DPOs were lobbied during this return period on this specific Subject Matter Area. These DPOs were involved in at least one of the Lobbying Activities listed above, but not necessarily all of them.
As returns are specific to a Subject Matter Area the above Lobbying Activities may be associated with multiple returns.
Bernie McNally
Assistant Secretary (Department of Children and Youth Affairs)
Katherine Zappone
TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)
Fergal Lynch
Secretary General (Department of Children and Youth Affairs)
Gary Ó Donnchadha
Assistant Secretary (Department of Education and Skills)
Patricia Ryan
Special Adviser (Department of Health)
Jerry O'Connor
Special Adviser (Department of Children and Youth Affairs)