Category: News

News

Policy in Action 5 December 2023

Minister questioned on Core Funding requirements at Oireachtas Children’s Committee   Financial reporting “We are close to…having something good, some clarity in the next day or two” regarding proposals for Core Funding financial returns, according to the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Roderic O’Gorman TD, at the Oireachtas Committee on Children, Equality,

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Photo of Maria Cleary set against grey background
News

Transforming Early Years Education with Erasmus+

By Maria Cleary, Director of Funding and Partnerships, Early Childhood Ireland New and exciting opportunity for Early Years settings funding Early Childhood Ireland and Léargas are delighted to partner in raising awareness about the Erasmus+ Key Action 1 (learning exchange) funding opportunity and how to apply. We’ll be hosting two Lunch and Learn webinars in

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News

Policy in Focus 28 November 2023

“The Irish experience with a major Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) change process ought to contain valuable lessons and inspiration for current and future English ECEC policy development,” according to leading expert and Emeritus Professor of Early Childhood, Eva Lloyd OBE. Professor Lloyd, served as a member of the expert group appointed to develop

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News

Policy in Action 28 November 2023

First 5 Phase 2 (2023-2025) Implementation Plan and new Young Ireland Framework Last week, on Monday 20 November 2023, the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY) marked Children’s Day by launching the latest implementation plan for First 5, the ten-year whole of government strategy for babies, young children and their families. The

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News

Survey on Irish-Medium provision of Early Years and School Age Care settings

At the end of October, the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration, and Youth (DCEDIY) released the results from a survey on Irish-medium provision of Early Years and School Age Care settings. The survey followed a five-year action plan published in 2018 that included a series of commitments relating to Irish language provision in Early

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News

Policy in Action 21 November 2023

Oireachtas Update Concerns about new financial reporting requirements on Early Years (EY) and School Age Care (SAC) providers were raised at a meeting between policy makers and officials from the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth and members of the Oireachtas Committee on Children, Education, Disability, Integration and Youth, last week (14 November

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News

Policy in Action 14 November 2023

Oireachtas Update Early Childhood Ireland met with policy makers at the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth last week to discuss ‘Early childhood issues’. We also took the opportunity to present members of the Committee with our new Policy Proposal on the Closure of Early Years and School Age Care Settings.

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News

Policy Proposal: Closures of Early Years and School Age Care Settings

Last week, representatives from Early Childhood Ireland presented a Policy Proposal to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, which was discussing the Early Years sector and issues arising. The purpose of this Policy Proposal is to provide an overview of Early Childhood Ireland’s recommendations to the Department of Children, Equality,

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News

Inclement Weather Warning 13 November 2023

Status Orange – Wind warning for Carlow, Dublin, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Longford, Louth, Meath, Offaly, Westmeath, Wicklow, Cavan, Monaghan, Clare, Kerry, Limerick, Tipperary, Galway, Roscommon Met Éireann Weather Warning Unusually stormy on Sunday night and Monday due to Storm Debi with severe and damaging gusts. Possible impacts: – Damage to exposed and vulnerable structures –

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News

Childhood Development Initiative conference review

Early Childhood Ireland recently attended the Childhood Development Initiative’s (CDI) conference, Pressing Pause: Reconfiguring Childcare, Policy and Practice.  It included expert speakers such as Karen Butler from Tusla, Dr Alison Clark professor of Early Childhood Education from the University of South-Eastern Norway, Mark Considine, Principal Officer of the Access and Inclusion Unit at the Department

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