Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Question 103: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs further to his comments in a newspaper (details supplied) regarding payments to grandparents for child care, if his Department's attention has been drawn to the number of grandparents currently involved in child care duties of their grandchildren; the number of grandparents he would expect to avail of this payment system if it were introduced; the amount he might consider paying each grandparent; the cost of the suggested payments to the State per annum; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11889/05]

Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Question 108: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs when he expects the review of national child care policy to be completed; the persons carrying out the review; the Departments involved in the review; when he expects findings of the review to be made available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11890/05]

Bernard Allen (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 138: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs further to his comments in a newspaper (details supplied), the way in which a possible payment system for child care by relatives such as grandparents would be implemented; if this would require primary legislation; if this payment would be means tested as with the carer's allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11888/05]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 103, 108 and 138 together.

Parents have the main responsibility for the care of their children. They may need to get others to share the caring role if a parent wishes to take up employment to maintain or improve their standard of living. This may be particularly necessary for lone parents.

Formal child care arrangements, responsibility for the development of which is a matter for my colleague, the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, have a key role in providing child care, but it may be some time before the necessary capacity can be built up to meet the growing need for an affordable, quality and flexible service. While this capacity is being built up, many parents will continue to need to have recourse to more informal arrangements. These would include the provision of care by other family members, including grandparents.

The senior officials group on social inclusion is co-ordinating a review of current provision for child care at the request of the Cabinet committee on social inclusion. A high level group on early childhood education and are, chaired by the National Children's Office in the Department of Health and Children has been tasked with defining a policy in respect of more formal child care and early education and clarifying departmental responsibilities and co-ordination in this area. Due to the cross-cutting nature of this issue a number of Departments are represented on this committee.

Second, a high-level steering group appointed by the senior officials group on social exclusion and chaired by the Department of the Taoiseach, is looking at the obstacles to employment faced by lone parents from the perspective of ending child poverty, an initiative under Sustaining Progress. One of the key issues being addressed by this group is the adequacy of child care provision for lone parents, in terms of quality, affordability and availability. My Department is represented at a senior level on both groups. It is my hope that both will be in a position to report to the Cabinet committee on social exclusion later this year.

One of the outcomes of the current social changes affecting families is the changing role of grandparents. In some instances they may have a greater involvement in caring for their grandchildren than they would have expected, in order to assist their children in reconciling work and family life. The valuable and valued contribution which grandparents make in this area may benefit from more formal recognition and support.

I have, therefore, asked that the full implications of providing such recognition and support be examined in the context of the relevant policy reviews, mentioned above, which are currently taking place.