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

I agree with the Deputy. I am not saying now because I do not know for sure. We are, however, being as clear as we can be about what is involved. When we know for sure I will tell the committee. The Deputy is right we have to be honest and upfront.

The measures we are putting in place for this September, which we are communicating to providers and which we will continue to support, will be in place until we move to the new system. We are taking the first major step towards that full affordable child care scheme and there will be difficulties we will have to sort out with providers or families. We are talking about the ICT system to make it easier for families to understand their subsidies and for providers to administer the new system, which is not available yet. However, what will be available in September, and will continue to be available until that ICT system is fully fleshed out, is a way and set of systems for families to benefit from what we promised. I anticipate that whatever the difficulties, they will have been sorted and we will not have to go through that again.

Some families who we intended should benefit may not benefit with this full system because when we do have the ICT system there is a way to determine the income, deductions, subsidies that is clear to the families meets the thresholds we had identified. We have put out possibly up to 9,000 children not all aged less than three. Everybody can benefit from the universal subsidy. That does not depend on the ICT system. The estimated difference is partly accounted for by children aged three and older whose family incomes are above the threshold for a general practitioner, GP, visit card but below the threshold for the affordable child care scheme. It is also partly accounted for by children aged three or older whose parents may be eligible for a GP visit card or meet other eligibility criteria but who have not taken it up. The information campaign has begun. There may be some families who are eligible for a GP visit card who could take it up and become more available for what we are putting out in September.