Featured News

Tuesday 25th July, 11:00am to 12:30pm. 

Childminders' you are invited to bring the children to Tullamore Town Park. Ready, Steady, Play Midlands will entertain the children, while you will have the opportunity to meet other childminders.

Ready Steady Play and Music classes provide a multitude of developmentally appropriate activities through play, music and movement for children from Newborn - Primary School.

Refreshments will be provided.

If you are a childminder not known to Offaly County Childcare Committee, please contact Siobhán on T: 057 913 5878 or        E: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for a booking link and code.

Event will take place WEATHER PERMITTING.

Public Consultation to inform a new Action Plan for Youth Services
From Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth

We want to hear from you!

The Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth has launched a public consultation to inform the development of a new Action Plan for Youth Services.

Youth services in Ireland provide young people aged 10 – 24 with the opportunity to take part in and avail of an array of out-of-school youth work and related developmental activities and supports. These include (but are not limited to) local youth clubs, projects and interventions aimed at young people at risk of social exclusion, youth cafés and other supported spaces for young people in their communities, mentoring programmes, personal challenge programmes such as Gaisce – The President’s Award; and international youth exchanges and opportunities.

Youth services support and empower young people as they grow to adulthood, promoting their wellbeing, helping them to develop their potential and overcome adversity, and connecting them with their community and the wider world. Data from the National Growing Up in Ireland survey indicates that 34% of the surveyed young people at aged 13 and 14% at aged 17 and 18 had participated in a youth group of some kind. In 2022, the Department provided almost €75 million to support youth services across the country.

What We Are Consulting On

The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth will shortly publish its new National Policy Framework for Children and Young People. One of the commitments of the Framework is to develop a new Action Plan for Youth Services with a focus on enhancing the provision of youth services in Ireland. It is intended for the Action Plan to be finalised by the end of 2023.

We want to ensure that young people have access to engaging, high-quality and sustainable youth services that meet their needs and that work well together and with other sectors for the benefit of young people.

To help inform the Department’s approach to the development of the Action Plan for Youth Services, the Minister is seeking your views on current youth service provision in Ireland and what improvements you would like to see.

Note:
The focus of this Public Consultation is on youth work and related leisure-time developmental opportunities and supports for young people. These include youth clubs and projects, whether for all young people or targeted at particular groups and including all delivery mechanisms; special interest youth groups and organisations; youth mentoring programmes; uniformed groups such as the Scouts and Guides; participation in leisure-time youth achievement, social entrepreneurship and civic engagement activities and youth-led volunteering; youth exchanges and residentials in Ireland or internationally; youth information centres; and dedicated low-cost or free spaces for young people such as youth cafés.

How to Respond

You can submit your views in one of two ways, before midnight Friday 14th July 2023:

By written submission, using the template below, emailed to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

You can send the submission on your own behalf, or on behalf of your organisation. Submissions can be made in Irish or in English.

Written Submission Template

Download

By responding to the survey link below.

Public Survey to Inform an Action Plan for Youth Services

Note:
You may wish to respond to one or to both of the above options, as there are different questions contained within each.

While an organisation may wish to make an a submission or complete the survey on behalf of the organisation as a whole, individual members of that organisation e.g. paid staff, volunteers, managers, youth officers etc. may also complete the survey on their own behalf.

What We Will Do with Your Response
All the responses received to this consultation will be reviewed and taken into consideration in the development of the Action Plan for Youth Services. Responses will be collated into a published report and extracts from submissions or survey answers may be quoted in the report.

All submissions and comments submitted to the Department for this purpose are subject to release in line with the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act 2014. Responses received are also subject to Data Protection legislation - see the Department’s Privacy Notice.

Dear Early Learning and Care and School Age Childcare Providers,

Core Funding for the Programme Year 2023/24

The application process for the Core Funding 2023/2024 programme year is now open.

It is important to note that once a partner service has submitted their application, they have a 14-day window to activate the Core Funding Partner Service Funding Agreement 2023 which they will find on the Programmes page of the Early Years Hive in the Available Programme Applications section.

Please note: Once the 14-day window has passed, the Core Funding Application Module 2023 will be cancelled, and will require a new application submission.​

If your service requires support completing an application, additional resources are available under the Core Funding Documents section on Hive, where we have added Applicant Guidelines for the Core Funding 2023/2024 programme year which you will find here. Your local CCC (County Childcare Committee) also remain available to assist you in completing your Core Funding Application Module.

We have also been providing the training sessions below that will provide an overview of the Programme Readiness for the Core Funding 2023/2024 programme year. Two training sessions took place on Friday 23 June and Monday 26 June. We have one upcoming training session this evening, please use the link below to book your place. A recording of the webinar and copy of the PowerPoint will be available by the end of the week.

Core Funding Year 2. SP3.

28/06/2023 at 6:30pm

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/6247870803213930071

If you require any further assistance or clarification on any of the above, please contact the Early Years Provider centre by raising a ticket as follows: -

Programme: Core Funding

Request Type: Application

Request Type Detail: Application

Best wishes,

The Early Years Team

Dear Service Provider,

We are aware that there was an issue with Tusla registrations on the Early Years Hive which was affecting service providers' ability to activate funding agreements for all programmes, submit Core Funding applications, and register NCS CHICKS.

The issue has now been resolved. We apologise for any inconvenience caused.

Kind Regards

The Early Years Team

Minister O’Gorman confirms introduction of new employment rights for parents
From Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth

Minister Roderic O’Gorman has today (26th of June) announced the commencement date for new employment entitlements brought in as part of the recently passed Work Life Balance Act 2023.

As part of the legislation, the entitlement to breastfeeding breaks will be extended from the current period of six months – a time which coincides with maternity leave – up to two years.

In addition to this, parents and carers will be entitled to a new right to unpaid leave for medical purposes.

The Minister confirmed today these provision will come into effect from 3rd July 2023.

Speaking about the commencement, Minister O’Gorman said:

“The Work Life Balance Act is about helping make sure that our work lives reflect the reality of our personal lives, particularly for parents and carers.

“By extending breastfeeding breaks to two years after the birth of the child, we can support women returning to work after maternity leave to continue to breastfeed, in line with best practices from a public health perspective. Normalising breastfeeding in the workplace is of benefit to mothers, babies and wider society.’

The Minister went on to say:

“The new right to leave for medical care purposes will give parents and carers access to a flexible short-term form of unpaid leave, providing certainty at difficult moments, should they need it.”

Notes for the editor:
Part 1, Part 2, other than sections 7, 8, 12 (a), 13 and 14; and Sections 32 to 39 of the Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2023 will be commenced on 3rd July 2023.

This includes the introduction of leave for medical care purposes and amendments to the Maternity Protection Acts to provide for the extension of breastfeeding breaks. An order amending regulations relating to breastfeeding breaks made under the Maternity Protection Acts will also be made.

It is planned to commence the legislative provisions introducing domestic violence leave in the autumn.

The right to request flexible working for parents and carers will be commenced following the preparation of a Code of Practice by the WRC under Part 4.

Commencement of Part 3 and Part 4 are for the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment.