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

The programme for Government commits to conducting and publishing an independent review of the cost of providing quality child care. I envisage that my Department will tender for independent expertise to conduct the review in the autumn with a view to commencing it later this year. The report will need to be finalised by quarter two of next year and will be published. This commitment will be progressed in the context of broader policy work on the design and development of a new single affordable child care scheme.

Work is well under way on the development of policy proposals for the new affordable child care scheme which will greatly simplify the four current child care programmes for low income families. These are administratively complex and not easy to understand. As part of the review, my officials are examining previous published research and analysis on the cost of child care provision. They are also assessing available data sources and scoping the precise requirements for the independent review.

I believe that the work we are now undertaking presents a real opportunity to develop much improved supports for affordable, high quality child care. The review of costs will examine average costs, variations between regions and the reason for the differences. It will also deal with the links between costs and quality of child care supports.

I am committed to evidence-based future investment in high quality child care programmes, including the existing ECCE scheme and the planned single affordable child care scheme. I look forward to working with all interested parties as this work proceeds.

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