Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 1350: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if she will instruct the vocational educational committees to increase childcare grants to VTOS participants to a more reasonable level in view of the fact that the grant amount is making VTOS courses prohibitive for lone parents with young children; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29471/06]

Síle de Valera (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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My Department provides funding to VECs to assist towards the childcare expenses of participants in certain further education programmes in order to facilitate the enrolment on these programmes of people for whom they were designed but who had been unable to enrol on them because of childcare responsibilities. One of these further education programmes is the Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme (VTOS). The other programmes are Youthreach and Senior Traveller Training.

The amount of grant that each VEC receives is determined by reference to the number of students it has enrolled on these programmes who require childcare assistance and the total amount provided to the Department for this purpose. The administration and disbursement of these grants are matters for each VEC. Students in the relevant programmes who feel entitled to such grants should apply to their VECs.

The funds provide for:

direct provision of creche facilities in centres or in rented premises, including staff, equipment/refurbishment, rental, insurance and other overheads; or

the purchase of places in existing community or commercial creches. This is subject to payment of a maximum of €63.50 per week per child for a full-day session, with pro-rata adjustments for sessions of lesser duration; or — the payment of childminders, subject to a maximum of €63.50 per child per week for a full session, with pro-rata adjustments for part-time sessions.

The grant is intended as a contribution to costs. VECs determine the level of childcare provision and have the discretion to bridge any gap between the Department's grant and actual costs they approve. Expenditure by my Department on further education childcare grants to VECs has grown from €3.25m in 2001 to €5.45m in 2005. The provision for 2006 is €5.69m.