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

The affordable childcare scheme will give priority to the poorest families. The highest rates of subsidy will go to families with the lowest incomes. In particular, the maximum rate of subsidy will go to families with net income below €22,700, which means that all families below the relative income poverty line will receive the maximum hourly rate of subsidy. For school-age children, the maximum subsidy will be €3.76 per hour, which amounts to €38 per week for a two-hour per day after-school session.

I want to ensure a balanced approach to eligibility: while people will qualify for a subsidy based purely on income, parents’ participation in work or training will determine the number of hours of subsidy available. When parents are engaged in work, including part-time work and labour market activation programmes, or in education or training they will be eligible for an enhanced hours subsidy of up to 40 hours per week. When parents are not in work or training, child care will be subsidised on a standard hours basis of up to 15 hours per week.

I believe that this is a reasonable approach. It will mean that this scheme is open, albeit for standard hours rather than enhanced hours, to parents who stay at home to care for their children and are not taking part in work or training but who choose to avail of up to 15 hours of child care per week. In the case of school-going children, the child development objectives are met through school-going hours and, as such, the 15 standard hours child care applies to non-term time.

I acknowledge that where a parent is at home and not engaged in work or study, the family will not benefit from subsidised after-school child care. However, I believe it is important that the scheme should actively support labour market participation through linking the number of hours of subsidy to a family’s need for child care for the purpose of work, education or training.

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