Budget 2021
Budget 2021
Substantially increased investment for early years and school-age childcare must be an immediate and sustained focus for the new government. Budget 2021 will be the first test of how well they meet this challenge. Early Childhood Ireland is seeking a plan to increase spending on childcare to 0.5% of GDP/GNI* by 2023 and to 1% by 2025. In 2021, as a result of Covid-19, we are calling for initial investment to be targeted to retain the EWSS (Employment Wage Support Scheme) for the sector until the report of the Expert Group on the Future Funding model is actioned. This can act as a bridging measure and to help to stabilise early years and school-age provision as settings need to adjust to working with the public health issues arising from the Covid-19 pandemic. It is unrealistic for the Government to expect the sector to resume a broken “business as usual” model of operation on January 1st, 2021 and additional Covid-19 specific supports will be necessary until a vaccine or treatment is widely available.
