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

I thank Deputy Ó Laoghaire for the positive comments he made at the beginning of his contribution, and I agree with him.

In terms of capacity, the Deputy raised concerns about whether we will have enough providers and sufficient spaces for the children, and the date of 21 August for registering children for places. Of the 41% of child care services that have completed the recontracting process, two in every three of the child care services that have signed up so far have opted to deliver the subsidies to make the child care more affordable for families in September. The contracting process has already started with the child care providers. As I understand it, it is on target and it is at the same place that it is normally is in terms of contracting. Registration for children starts in August.

As the Deputy can appreciate, we are monitoring and paying attention to ensuring that we will have the capacity in September and one of my officials will deal with the provision of the scheme in rural areas. One of the key ways to ensure consistently that we will have capacity is through the information campaign that we have already initiated. I have indicated that we will move towards a more intense level information campaign relatively soon so that people understand and have the information. For example, one aspect of the scheme is the extra moneys for non-contact time for providers who are willing to sign up to the new measures in September.

I take on board Deputy Ó Laoghaire's point on family income supplement, FIS. We are continuing to explore that and I am happy to consider the Deputy's additional concerns about it.

On the Deputy's final point on sustainability, we have these exchanges regularly on sustainability and Deputy Ó Laoghaire understands my commitment to it. I am continuing to ask the Department to examine any additional measures to support sustainability in terms of where we are now. I understand the Deputy has identified the need to outline a vision for a publicly provided service and system. Effectively, as the Deputy will be aware, one of the major breakthroughs in the past number of years, which happened before I took office, was the early childhood care and education, ECCE, scheme, the free preschool places. This effectively is a vision of the provision of a service by different providers, private as well as not for profit, paid from the public purse. It took public investment to do that. As we move forward, in terms of targeted subsidies and also universal provision, there is public investment in order to develop the infrastructure of child care. That is what I continue to be committed to and in the different ways we deliver it.

My official Ms Brooks will address the capacity issue.