Barry Andrews (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Question 292: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the estimate of the cost of abolishing employers' PRSI for child care providers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17950/05]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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Detailed data relating to the amount of social insurance contributions remitted by the child care sector is not held by my Department in a form which is suitable for directly estimating the cost of abolishing employers PRSI in their case. However, based on data from the national child care census report baseline data 1999-2000, it is tentatively estimated that exempting child care providers from liability for PRSI would have cost in the region of €5.5 million in respect of employers contributions.

My Department currently provides scope for employers in this sector and others to avail of reduced PRSI contributions through the PRSI exemption scheme. This scheme allows employers to employ additional eligible workers and be exempt from liability to pay the employers contribution of PRSI for the first two years of the employment.