Denise Mitchell (Dublin Bay North, Sinn Fein)
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1149. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if non-contact time payments will be available in 2018; and if so, when services can apply for same. [25167/18]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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I am pleased to inform you that the €18m paid initially in 2017 and secured in my vote in Budget 2018 will be paid to childcare providers in June 2018 in the form of the Programme Support Payment (PSP), formerly referred to as the 'non-contact time' payment. This payment is in recognition of the important administrative role that childcare providers play in the delivery of childcare schemes (ECCE, CCS and TEC).

The window for applications for Programme Support Payment opened on Wednesday 6th June and will remain open until Friday 22nd June inclusive. The intention is that payments can then be made to childcare providers in the last week of June. The Programme Support Payment will be apportioned out among childcare providers based on the proportion of registrations in each service.

Frequently asked questions on the Programme Support Payment 2018 are on the Department's website.