Written answers

Thursday, 20 October 2005

Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform

Child Care Services

5:00 pm

Photo of David StantonDavid Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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Question 46: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform his views on the ESRI view that child care is to become more expensive and more difficult to obtain; the initiatives, in addition to the EOCP, he will introduce to increase the supply of child care places; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29729/05]

Photo of David StantonDavid Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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Question 63: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform his views on the effectiveness of the EOCP in improving equality of opportunity for women in the workforce and improving equality of opportunity for children at a social and educational level through early years education; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29730/05]

Photo of Michael McDowellMichael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 46 and 63 together.

The Deputy has referred to the effectiveness of the EOCP and to recent comments by the ESRI regarding future child care costs and availability. I understand the comments referred to arose from two ESRI working papers entitled The Labour Market to 2015 and Ireland - an Ageing Multicultural Economy, which were presented at a recent SIPTU biennial conference. The papers included issues for discussion across a broad range of topics influenced by our demographic structure now and into the future. These included our economic success, family-friendly workplaces, higher female labour force participation and the increase in the number of women in higher levels of education, together with the consequent implications this may have for future public policy makers, including higher child care costs.

While there have been a number of recent reports on the future of child care which also look at cross-cutting issues, the need for such an approach has already been recognised and adopted at Government level. In the past, child care was seen as a matter largely for parents and not one requiring active Government intervention. This scenario has changed radically and in a very short period, due in no small way to the outcomes of the Equal Opportunities Childcare Programme, EOCP, 2000-2006.

The Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform has lead responsibility for the EOCP, which was established to deliver the Government's commitment, identified in the National Development Plan 2000-2006, to develop quality child care services in Ireland through a major investment programme. This commitment was given in direct response to the recommendations of the expert working group on child care established under Partnership 2000, and chaired by my Department, to develop a strategy for the development and delivery of child care.

The EOCP has contributed significantly to the development of a formal child care infrastructure through a substantial investment programme to establish and enhance child care services, the development of a national network of 33 city and county child care committees, and supporting the work of seven national voluntary child care organisations.

The provision of capital grants has enabled the establishment of new child care facilities and the upgrading of existing child care facilities. The provision of staffing grant assistance for up to three years, in areas of disadvantage, has ensured the retention of child care staff in services. The interim evaluation of the EOCP and the mid-term evaluation made positive commentary on the performance of the child care measures which resulted in additional funds being allocated to the child care measures. As the very successful EOCP nears its final stage, the full range of child care issues and how we should best address them are being critically examined in a number of fora.

The question of a follow-up programme to the EOCP is currently being examined in the context of the broad-ranging consideration of child care issues being undertaken by representatives of a number of Departments taking part in the high level working group on early childhood care and education under the co-ordination of the National Children's Office. While it is not possible at this stage to comment in detail, the Government has already signalled its commitment to continued expenditure beyond the end of the programme to ensure that its momentum is maintained.

EOCP funding commitments have been made beyond 2006 for both capital and staffing grant assistance. The level of demand for capital grant assistance was such that I considered it important to increase the capital provision for the present programme. An additional capital provision of €90 million was made available over the period 2005 to 2009, in the context of the 2005 budget. Of this amount, €50 million is being made available under the present programme and the remaining €40 million will flow under the next phase of the post-2006 EOCP. In regard to staffing grant assistance, following a detailed review of the existing staffing grants under the EOCP my Department recently extended the terms of the grants to the end of December 2007 to groups that have received staffing grants for a period of three or more years and which continue to deliver a child care service in accordance with their pre-agreed targets.

To date under the EOCP, 49,000 child care places are up and running, of which 26,000 are new. Data from grant beneficiaries indicated that over 80% of parents using the child care facilities are availing of education, training or employment opportunities.

The number of women in the active workforce is continuing to increase rapidly and has grown from 400,400 in employment in 1990 to 819,000 in employment in 2005. This increase is clearly an important contributor to Ireland's growing need for child care service provision, a need which the EOCP was established to address.

All of the EOCP achievements to date have addressed national and local level issues, aimed at increasing the availability of child care places and improving the quality of child care services, through capital, staffing and quality improvement funding. My Department has been at the forefront of these developments and I hope to continue this role and its valuable contribution to future Government policy on child care.

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