Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

As part of budget 2013, I was pleased to announce, together with my colleague, the Minister for Social Protection, a new after-school child care initiative which will be targeted at low income parents availing of employment opportunities. As we know, lack of access to affordable, quality child care is a significant barrier to many low income and disadvantaged families seeking to avail of work opportunities. This initiative will provide an important support measure to enable parents to avail of job opportunities. This is in line with the Government's overall strategy to support parents of low income families to take up employment and demonstrates the way Departments are working together to deliver the Government's agenda on promoting employment and supporting children's development.

This initiative is expected to receive full year funding of €14 million. It is a new budget line that was agreed last year. It will have €14 million to provide 6,000 after-school places for children attending primary school to support parents to take up employment. This funding has been made possible through savings from the Vote of the Department of Social Protection.

Eligibility for the new after-school child care programme is determined by the Department of Social Protection. Officials from the Department of Social Protection and my Department have been working together to set up the programme. The first pilot phase has commenced. There are 500 child care places available in Tralee, Mullingar, Dundalk, Cork city, Finglas, Kings Inn and Limerick city. They are all participating now. The second phase of the pilot will be rolled out in July when further areas will be added, with the full roll-out of the programme in September 2013 to coincide with the new school year. The pilot programme will assist both Departments in determining the procedural, quality and practical issues that will require attention prior to the finalisation of the programme.

The programme will provide €35 per week per child enrolled in a participating service for after-school services. This payment will rise to €100 per week during holiday periods when parents will be availing of full day care. A further €20 per week will be paid by the parent to the provider in both instances.

Additional information not given on the floor of the House

The new after-school child care programme will further augment my Department's programme of child care supports for low-income families. These include the community child care subvention and the child care education and training support programmes, both of which provide subsidised child care for low-income parents, including qualifying parents who are on approved VEC and FÁS education and training courses. In 2013, my Department expects to spend in the region of €70 million on these programmes, supporting more than 30,000 child care places. This is in addition to the early childhood care and education, ECCE, scheme which provides a universal preschool year. The cost of this scheme is in the region of €175 million per annum.

See this speech in context