McIlveen pledges to bring forward childcare strategy for Northern Ireland

By Jonathan McCambridge, PA

Education Minister Michelle McIlveen has said she is committed to bringing forward a childcare strategy for Northern Ireland.

The Stormont Assembly was told on Tuesday that Northern Ireland currently has the second highest childcare costs in Europe.

The New Decade, New Approach agreement, which restored powersharing at Stormont, committed the Executive to publish the strategy and to “deliver extended, affordable and high quality provision of early education and care initiatives for families with children aged 3-4”.

But, in her first ministerial question time since taking office, Mrs McIlveen said that work on the strategy had been paused during the Covid emergency.

She said: “I am committed to moving forward with work on the Executive childcare strategy as quickly as possible.

“Work on it has had to be paused over the past year or so as my officials focused their energy on providing financial support for the childcare sector throughout the Covid-19 pandemic.

“This has been essential to ensure the survival of many childcare providers and to underpin economic recovery.

“From April 2020 approximately £35 million was paid to the childcare sector through six support schemes.

“This is a very significant investment involving a lot of detailed work.”

The minister added: “Despite the delivery of these schemes requiring significant staff work, we have recommenced on the development of the childcare strategy and while we are not starting from scratch, previous work done on the strategy will need to be updated, taking on board lessons learned from the past year.

“The work will include producing an up-to-date assessment of the state of the sector following the pandemic, re-engaging with key stakeholders on the objectives and priorities, feasibility testing and a public consultation.

“It will also require Executive agreement on a broad range of significant policy decisions, including the overall budget.

“I am hopeful that a strategic insight programme to engage with key stakeholders to help inform the development of the strategy will take place in the Autumn and we are planning for this to run from October to December, subject to work on pandemic support schemes having come to an end by this stage.

“I can assure you of my commitment to moving this work forward.

“The focus is on the production of a costed strategy which enables meaningful funding decisions to be taken.”

SDLP MLA Pat Catney asked: “Can you outline what plans you have to lower childcare costs given that Northern Ireland has the second most expensive childcare in Europe?”

Mrs McIlveen said: “It is difficult to ascertain how the strategy is going to work out and what it is going to look like.

“Obviously we are committed to producing a strategy as I am very mindful of the pressures that this places on families who are trying to work and at the same time have their children looked after.”

DUP MLA Christopher Stalford said: “The minister will be aware that in other UK regions, 30 hours of childcare is an offer that is available.

“Is the minister in a position to tell us whether a similar offer will be included in the Northern Ireland childcare strategy?”

The minister responded: “We will consider this as part of the engagement process.

“In line with the commitments made in New Decade, New Approach the department will move forward with the work on the Executive childcare strategy.”