James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

This question relates to the one-parent family payment. As the Deputy knows, this is, in the first instance, a matter for the Department of Social Protection. However, my Department has been working closely with that Department to develop a range of targeted child care support programmes for low-income families, parents returning to the workforce and parents engaging in training and-or employment initiatives. Among these targeted child care support programmes is the after-school childcare programme which provides after-school care for primary school children of eligible parents for a period of 52 weeks. The programme contributes €40 per week for an after-school place or €80 per week in situations where a pick-up service is provided to take the child from school to the child care provider. The programme also provides a full day care rate of €105 per week, for a maximum of ten weeks, to cater for school holiday periods. In all cases, the maximum fee payable by parents is €15 per week per child. The community child care subvention programme and child care education and training support programme also provide a range of child care supports for eligible parents, including after-school care.

These targeted child care support programmes, together with the universal early childhood care and education programme which provides a free preschool year for all children in the age category three years and two months to four years and seven months, represent an overall annual investment of €260 million and support more than 100,000 children each year. This level of investment has been maintained, despite the difficult budgetary position in recent years. To ensure all of the benefits of this and future investment are fully realised, it must be evidence-based and strategically co-ordinated. Accordingly, I have established an interdepartmental group to develop a coherent whole-of-government approach to investment in early years and after-school care and education.

This group is considering the needs of children in their early years as well as the needs of school-going children. The group, which is still in the early stages of its deliberations, will submit its final report to Government in June 2015.

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