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

I welcome the opportunity to conclude, particularly since the Minister for Health introduced the Bill on his and my own behalf. I will discuss the aspect of this Bill relating to the national childcare scheme along with another issue raised during Second Stage. I will launch the national childcare scheme in a few weeks. It is our pathway to accessible, affordable and quality childcare in Ireland. It is a scheme of financial support for parents towards the cost of quality childcare. Once introduced, it will replace the existing targeted childcare schemes with a single, streamlined and user-friendly scheme providing both universal and income related subsidies. By tangibly reducing the cost of quality childcare, the scheme aims to improve children's outcomes, support employment and lifelong learning, reduce child poverty and support gender equality. The launch of the national childcare scheme will be a landmark. It creates the first ever statutory entitlement to childcare support in the State.

Through this Bill, we will copper-fasten the statutory entitlements for British citizens. We will ensure they can access the scheme on the same basis as Irish citizens and that the principles and intent of the common travel area are reflected in the legislative framework for the national childcare scheme. Part 3 of this Bill proposes to amend the Childcare Support Act 2018 to make provision for British citizens to access the national childcare scheme on the same basis as Irish citizens.

To address directly something raised by Deputy O'Reilly, the term "British citizen" does not presuppose that all those in Northern Ireland are British citizens. Irish citizens are already covered by reference to EU citizens in the Act. This covers both Irish citizens in the State and Northern Ireland. In drafting the Bill, the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel was satisfied on this point. In the event of an orderly withdrawal of the UK from the EU, British citizens will be treated as nationals of EU member states for the period of transition. However, in the event of no deal or in the longer term, the policy approach reflected in this Bill, consistent with the principles and intent of the common travel area, is to make provision for British citizens to access the national childcare scheme in the State on the same basis as Irish citizens. The amendments in Part 3 put beyond doubt that British citizens will be eligible to apply for the national childcare scheme in the event of a no-deal Brexit. As such, it offers assurance to British citizens living in Northern Ireland who wish to access the scheme and avail of childcare services in the State as well as British citizens moving to Ireland to live.

I am aware that Deputy O'Reilly has tabled amendments to Part 3 of the Bill that propose to add references in sections 7 and 15 of the Childcare Support Act 2018 to include Irish citizens who are ordinarily resident in Northern Ireland and British citizens who are ordinarily resident in Northern Ireland. However, section 7 of the Childcare Support Act sets out the persons who are eligible to apply for financial support under the national childcare scheme. Section 7(1)(b)(iv) provides that persons who are nationals of a member state of the European Union are eligible to apply for financial support under the scheme. Irish citizens ordinarily resident in Northern Ireland are, therefore, already covered in section 7. There is no need to refer specifically to Irish citizens ordinarily resident in Northern Ireland as they will continue to be nationals of an EU member state after Brexit.

British citizens who are ordinarily resident in Northern Ireland are captured by the amendment proposed at section 10 of the Bill. This is because British citizens regardless of their ordinary residence will be eligible to apply for the scheme. There is, therefore, no need to refer specifically in section 7 to British citizens ordinarily resident in Northern Ireland.

Similarly, the consequential amendments proposed to section 15 of the Childcare Support Act 2018 are unnecessary as Irish citizens ordinarily resident in Northern Ireland are already captured under section 7(1)(b)(iv), while British citizens ordinarily resident in Northern Ireland will be captured by the amendment proposed at section 10 of the Bill. As such, the amendments proposed by Deputy O'Reilly are unnecessary, but I thank her for the opportunity to clarify these important matters and I hope this explanation provides reassurance with regard to the eligibility of persons living in Northern Ireland.

The Bill demonstrates the Government's continued commitment to contingency planning for a no-deal Brexit and to ensuring that the provisions of the Good Friday Agreement and the principles and intent of the common travel area are respected and upheld in all relevant policy areas. I acknowledge and appreciate the co-operation of colleagues in the House, who facilitated the Bill for debate as a matter of priority. The tight timeframe has been necessary, unfortunately, due to the pressing need for the legislation to be enacted by the end of the month.

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