Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The overall objective of this programme is to continue to support the provision of universal and targeted services for the care, development and well-being of children and young people. The programme comprises the ECCE preschool year scheme, the general child care programmes, the child care initiatives, the youth organisations and services, the area-based childhood programme, and intervention programmes for children and young people funded by the dormant accounts scheme.

The combined allocations for the child care programme under subheads B3, B4 and B5 in 2016 amount to €344.122 million. This includes the ECCE preschool year programme, the general child care programmes and the child care initiatives. The committee might note that an additional €85 million was provided in the budget in 2016 towards the cost of a suite of measures to support affordability, accessibility and quality in child care. I acknowledge all the advocates, the political parties and my Department, whose support helped to get that funding. It is critical to build a sustainable framework, and we are heading towards it but we are not there yet.

Under subhead B3, the current expenditure at the end of May 2016 on ECCE amounted to €95.263 million against a profile of €97.808 million. The variation in this case is attributable to a number of factors. These include a below-profile cost of administration, which amounts to €1.38 million, and a lower-than-expected spend of €4.746 million on the disability scheme, which is offset by a higher spend of €3.639 million on ECCE capitation. The variations are also largely due to timing considerations relating to fund draw downs and it is expected that the position will reverse over the course of the remainder of the year. My Department has very strong oversight of this.

The current expenditure under subhead B4, relating to general child care programmes, amounted to €33.5 million against a profile of €34.977 million at the end of May 2016. Similarly, the position on subhead B5, relating to the child care initiative, was marginally below profile, with expenditure of €2.465 million against a profile of €2.593 million.

The variation on both subheads is largely attributable to timing issues relating to fund drawdowns and the expectation that the resource allocations will be fully utilised.

Subhead B6, youth organisations and services, is showing an end of May spend of €24.272 million as against a profile of €30.377 million. The variation of €6.105 million arises because of lower than expected expenditure outlays under both the local youth club grant scheme and payments under the Youth Work Act 2001. Expenditure will accelerate as the year progresses and, again, the resource allocation will be expended in full.

The remaining two subheads in programme B relate to the area-based childhood scheme, subhead B7, and the intervention programme for children funded by dormant accounts, subhead B8. Both programmes are expected to come in on profile at the end of 2016.

I am happy to take questions in regard to the programmes.