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

I assure the Deputy about the detailed contact that has been taking place. I am aware that the Department staff who have been involved in working with the child care committees have visited all the child care committees and had national meetings with them on the range of issues that arise in their portfolios in local areas. Up to now, county child care committees have been doing their work at a local level in the county, but they were not being co-ordinated nationally.

In terms of the development of a more co-ordinated approach to child care nationally and locally, an important aspect of that is getting the child care committees to work to national priorities. I assure the Deputy that the ongoing development of this after-school child care provision will be a key part of the ongoing discussions with the local committees.

The Deputy asked about the subsidised after-school care provision. People will be entitled to a total of 52 weeks of subsidised after-school child care even if they have more than one child in child care each week. Provided the person's circumstances do not change, the subsidised after-school child care place will last the 52 weeks from the date they first avail of the service. If someone avails of child care for any part of a week, that is counted as a week.

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