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

I am working to introduce a new affordable child care scheme from next September which will provide financial support for parents towards the cost of child care. The new scheme will provide for both universal and targeted subsidies towards the cost of child care. It will replace the existing targeted child care programmes with a single, streamlined and more user-friendly scheme. I want it to provide "wraparound" care for pre-school and school age children.

To ensure good governance, the affordable child care scheme will be put on a statutory basis. The necessary primary legislation will encompass clear and detailed rules for the assessment of income and the provision of subsidies, clearly prescribed authority in regard to the sharing of data across public bodies and administrators, comprehensive provisions regarding the powers and obligations of the scheme administrator and high level requirements and associated powers of sanction regarding scheme participation by child care providers.

The primary legislation will take account of all necessary amendments to existing legislation. As part of this, the use of the PPS number and data sharing across public bodies and agencies will be supported through legislation and formal data sharing agreements. Officials in my Department are currently drafting the heads of Bill for the scheme, which are at an advanced stage. I intend to bring the heads of Bill to Government for approval early in the new year and thereafter the precise timeframe for the drafting of the legislation and its passage through the Houses will be subject to the usual considerations regarding scheduling and allocation of parliamentary time. My objective is that legislation will be in place in early summer and I look forward to piloting this important scheme through both Houses.

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