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

Let me be perfectly clear on this issue. From 2017, the majority of eligible families will benefit from significantly increased subsidisation of child care costs. From September, the promise of a subsidy for children under the age of 36 months will be kept. Families with one or more children under the age of three years who wish to use regulated child care services will be able to avail of a universal subsidy of up to €1,000 per annum. We are also introducing targeted measures of support which significantly increase the subsidy available towards the costs of child care. This subsidy will almost reach the level of the threshold of income that we identified originally in respect of the affordable child care scheme. However, the scheme will be accessed by parents and families a little differently from they way in which we had anticipated. The money is available, however, and parents will be able to avail of significantly increased State support for child care. The Department will roll out an information campaign on how to access the scheme.

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