Catherine Byrne (Dublin South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Senator. Some of the issues she has raised do not relate to the question that was submitted, so I may not have the answers here, but I will comment on some afterwards.

On behalf of the Minister, Deputy Katherine Zappone, I am very pleased to provide an update on the measures which are being put in place to make child care more affordable for families from September. I will also outline the progress that has been made in developing the affordable childcare scheme, ACS. On 11 April, the Minister, Deputy Zappone, announced a range of measures, which will make child care more affordable for families from September. These measures include universal subsidies of up to €1,040 per annum per child, which will be available for all children aged between six and 36 months and targeted subsidies of up to €7,500 per annum per child, which will be delivered to families who need it most. It is these targeted subsidies that will open up opportunities for jobs, training and education for parents.

As a result of these measures, up to 70,000 children will benefit from child care support this September. This is the first big practical step to changing one of the most expensive child care systems in the world into one of the best. By addressing the affordability issue we will ease the burden on many parents for whom child care costs have become a second rent or mortgage. To ensure uptake by families and by child care providers, a public information campaign has been under way since mid-May. Contracting with child care providers is now under way and registration of children for all these subsidies will go live from 21 August.

Significant progress continues to be made on the development of the ACS. A project board, chaired by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs, meets every three weeks to oversee this development. Work on the drafting of legislation is currently in progress. It is anticipated that a draft Bill will be brought to Government by end of the third quarter, with a view to enactment in the autumn. The main development of the ACS project is now subject to the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer, OGCIO, peer review process. The peer review group, which was established in early May 2017, is currently reviewing the ACS business case. The next stage of this process is the request for tender, RFT, for the procurement of the ICT development. It is anticipated that the RFT will be presented to the peer review group by the end of the third quarter.

Other preparatory work includes the development of an ACS communications system, the development of a governance and compliance framework, the development of a data protection strategy and the finalisation of data sharing arrangements with the Office of the Revenue Commissioners and the Department of Social Protection. Major consideration is also being given for the phase when the ACS is developed, tested and ready for launch. With the above factors in mind, the project board has advised the Minister, Deputy Zappone, that it is not in a position at this point in time to guarantee a timeline for delivery of the ACS. The RFT stage of the peer review process represents to some extent the biggest milestone of the ICT development, and drives the beginning of the timeline for full project development. The Minister, Deputy Zappone, will revert with a specific delivery date as soon as possible. In the interim, the measures being introduced this September to make child care more affordable will ensure that children and families benefit from the additional investment secured. I will come back to the Senator on the other matters.