Motion Amendment

Motion TitleUniversal, Affordable Child-centred Childcare - Amendment 1

Motion Amendment TextLeave out all after ‘providers;’ and insert: ‘welcomes progress toward addressing these challenges, and the expansion and stabilisation of existing early years and childcare provision, through the Northern Ireland Childcare Subsidy Scheme and transitioning all funded pre-school education places to 22.5 hours per week; stresses the need for the Department for the Economy to advance a market assessment of childcare providers in order to expedite delivery of the targeted business support scheme agreed by the Executive; calls on the Minister of Education, building on ongoing work to build the evidence base necessary to inform development of long-term measures, to prioritise the publication of an Early Learning and Childcare Strategy, including meaningful actions to support child development, improve the affordability of childcare for families and support parents, including women, to work; and further calls on the Minister to work with the Minister of Finance to secure a commitment that the allocation of any additional Barnett consequential funding, including that resulting from increased funding for childcare in England, will reflect the need to deliver more affordable childcare as an immediate and standalone priority of the draft Programme for Government.’

Amendment Number1

Motion Amendment CategoryPrivate Members' Motion

Date Tabled to Business Office14/11/2024

Date of Plenary Debate18/11/2024