Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 286: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the way in which he perceives the development of child care financial support or other facilities in the future in view of the economic necessity for both parents to work outside the home; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7768/05]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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My Department administers a number of child income support measures, including child benefit which delivers a standard rate of payment in respect of all children in a family regardless of income levels or employment status.

Child benefit supports all children but delivers proportionately more assistance to those on low incomes and with larger families. The very substantial increases in benefit in recent years can make a significant contribution to meeting childcare costs.

My Department also administers the family income supplement scheme, an in-work income support designed to provide cash support for employees on low earnings with families, to help preserve the incentive to remain in employment in circumstances where the employee might only be marginally better off than if they were claiming other social welfare payments. A range of improvements introduced to FIS in recent years, including the assessment of entitlement on the basis of net rather than gross income and the progressive increases in income limits, has made it easier for lower income households to qualify under the scheme.

The question of specific supports for the provision of child care is a matter for my colleague the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, whose Department administers the equal opportunities childcare programme under the national development plan.