​PSP 2021-22 announcement

The Programme Support Payments (PSP) will open for applications on the Early Years Hive from Friday, 4th June until Friday, 25th June 2021.  Payments will issue after the application process ends.

The PSP application is completed on the Programmes page of the Hive. Guidance material including screen shots explaining how to apply through the Hive is available here. A training video is also available here.

Late applications for PSP will not be accepted.

Please note that all important dates are added to the Early Years Hive announcement calendar page for your benefit.

Providers must be on-boarded on the Early Years Hive in order to submit the PSP application form. If you are new to Hive and looking to on-board your service, please see the on-boarding page of Hive for more information.

Calculation of PSP 2020/2021

The PSP for this programme cycle involves a calculation that includes the National Childcare Scheme (NCS), ECCE, CCSP and TEC.

The total amount available to providers for 2021, payable this year, remains the same as last year at €19.4m, however, funding for individual providers and registrations may differ from previous years.

PSP is calculated based on a period in time referred to as the “snapshot” period. A number of different snapshot periods during the programme year have been used to calculate PSP since it was introduced in June 2017. This year, December 2020 was selected as an equitable point on which to base the ECCE, CCSP and TEC 2021 PSP payment and April 2021 was the base used for NCS.

PSP is calculated as equal to 8 days’ (1.6 weeks’) registrations for ECCE at Standard Capitation, 1.25 weeks for NCS, and 20 days’ (4 weeks’) registrations for CCSP and TEC, in respect of the 2020/21 programme cycle.

PSP Payments

PSP will be paid on the basis that any outstanding compliance/verification issues have been addressed and resolved

If you have more than one contract, you will receive a separate PSP payment relative to each funding agreement, it will not be a combined single payment.

For TEC and CCSP the PIP portal will show the amount and the remittance advice you receive will include a description of the payment as in previous years.

For ECCE and NCS the HIVE will display the amount awarded as an allocation with a clear description which can be viewed as a Budget Line under Programme Funding. The PSP allocation will be linked to the payment which will allow services to see the date of the payment.

Where providers have been overpaid under the DCEDIY Funding Schemes, the PSP will be offset against these overpayments.  A separate notice on recoupment of overpayments will issue to the providers who have overpayment balances.

Support

Should you have any queries in relation to PSP, please contact the Early Years Provider Centre by raising a Request on Hive using the following categories:

• Request Type: Programme Readiness
• Request Type Detail: PSP 2021
• Request Programme: Hive

For urgent queries, please contact the Early Years Provider Centre on 01 511 7222.

Please check the Hive comments and Notifications regularly, as Pobal will use this channel to contact you.