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

I know the Deputy is aware of this, but it is important to put on record that significant increases to reduce the cost of child care for families are being put in place and have begun to be delivered since September. There is a significant sign-up rate for those various schemes, including the universal scheme for under threes, which was the first time that the Government has put in place subsidies for families for children under three. As the Deputy is aware, a significant additional investment is being made in targeted funding. That is just beginning to roll out. Families are beginning to feel that and there has been a significant sign-up rate for those schemes. It is important to place that on the record of the House.

The Deputy identified the issue of the ICT system.

The development of the ICT system is progressing in an oversight group process. This involves a special office of people with expertise in information systems to ensure that what is ultimately delivered will be correct, and will last. That is outside my control. It is a process that involves other systems that are being developed from scratch, as significant as this one in terms of, as the Deputy rightly points out, the sharing of Revenue and social protection data that the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and other Departments have identified needs to be done in order that we get that right. I hope that we can deliver but it is outside of my control. It is in the context of that process that we will deliver the best system for children and families.

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