To ask the Minister of Education, in addition to the Northern Ireland Childcare Subsidy Scheme, whether any financial support is being considered to help with the day to day running costs of private nurseries.

I secured an additional £7m Executive funding to help stabilise existing early years provision in the current year. This has enabled me to provide additional payments to all groups delivering Sure Start, Pathway, Toybox, non-statutory Pre-school and other early years programmes, to help them manage rising costs. It has enabled them to provide pay increases for their staff, while maintaining, and in some cases expanding, front line services.

Calls for further direct government intervention to support early years and childcare providers needs to be considered within the wider economic and business support context.

The Department for the Economy is leading on a scoping exercise in conjunction with Invest Northern Ireland, the Department of Health, DE and wider stakeholders, to develop a clearer picture of the business support requirements of the childcare sector and help inform an appropriate government response.