Ms Bernie McNally:

I would have to ask the Department of Education and Skills exactly how that works. I imagine there is some variation with that.

With regard to community services, the Minister answered most of the question but we very much recognise the challenges faced by community services. The Minister has already mentioned the interventions we are making in that regard.

Another point it is important to make is that in budget 2017, and for the first time, the Minister got a small allocation of €1 million for a sustainability fund to help the Department develop a sustainability policy. It is hoped that the Minister will be making an announcement in the coming days on that. It is a small amount of assistance to community services that are struggling, particularly in terms of community employment where community employment participants are no longer able to be part of the ratios. Clearly, if services have people beyond the ratios, and we know many of them do and that it is very generous of them to do so, those people outside the ratios are not bound by the regulation requirements.

Deputy Jan O'Sullivan asked about efficiencies and the wording used in the heads of Bills, etc. In terms of what that means, we know that services that run a very good business model are already looking for efficiencies. They are trying to dovetail one child with another child. We have some early childhood care and education, ECCE, scheme providers providing services in the morning and now in the afternoon so that they can give full day, full week contracts. The affordable childcare scheme has been built in such a way that providers will be able to examine how they can dovetail children. Some children might be there for the morning, others will be after school etc. It is those type of efficiencies we are talking about.

The Deputy also asked about the quality requirements. Clearly, the regulations will be the fundamental requirements but also as part of the contract, and we have that already. For example, the existing contracts state that we require services to implement Síolta and Aistear. Most of the services are saying "Yes, we do" but that they need more support. That is something on which we are working. Last year, we funded an Aistear co-ordinator and a Síolta co-ordinator to work in the Department of Education and Skills out towards the services. There is a good deal happening with regard to providing more mentoring and support on Síolta and Aistear.

The Deputy also asked about school age child care. Our regulations allow for regulation of preschool services. Currently, there is not any regulation of school age child care but in terms of what we do, many of the school age child care services provide early years child care as well. The Tusla early years inspectorate inspects that service in its totality. It does not focus on the school age aspect but on the early years aspect. We have allowed those services to attract State funding. Those services registered with Tusla that provide early years and school age child care will be included in this affordable childcare scheme. The Minister, with the Department of Education and Skills, will soon publish a school age child care action plan. We have a plan to bring in some of the existing stand alone school age child care services that do not have an early years component. We are hoping that under the legislation the Minister will be able to make regulations so that it is not just those who are registered with Tusla who can avail of the affordable childcare scheme but that she can also establish a list of services that need strict criteria that will also be avail of the scheme.