Ned O'Keeffe (Cork East, Fianna Fail)
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Question 188: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if grant aid will be provided by his Department to mothers who stay at home to mind their children. [38280/05]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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My Department provides funding for child care services under the Equal Opportunities Childcare Programme 2000-2006. The EOCP is funded by the Government under the national development plan, which receives co-financing under European Union Structural Funds. Funding available includes capital grants for child care facilities, grants to support staffing costs in child care services and grants towards quality improvement, primarily through the national voluntary child care organisations and the city-county child care committees.

My Department does not operate a scheme of the type referred to by the Deputy but it may interest him to know that the Government has made substantial provision under child benefit, which has increased from about €500 million to €2 billion per annum over the period since 1997. This increase was introduced to give effect to the Government's commitment to assist all parents in relation to the care of their children irrespective of income or employment status.