Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 234: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the number of people in County Mayo for 2005 and 2006 who have been given supplementary welfare allowance for assistance with the cost of crèche fees; the cost of same; and the amount given to each successful applicant. [34762/06]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The main form of state child-care assistance is through the Equal Opportunities Support Programme operated by the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform. This programme is organised on a county basis and is specifically designed to assist low-income or otherwise disadvantaged parents moving into the work-force or taking up training or employment opportunities.

The supplementary welfare allowance scheme is administered on my behalf by the Community Welfare Division of the Health Service Executive. Crèche supplements may be made available by the Executive in specific instances where a public health nurse or health service social worker recommends that a child in difficult circumstances would benefit by attending a community crèche, or that the parent of a child needs to avail of counselling services, addiction treatments or similar and that crèche services are required to facilitate this. In each such instance the Executive will take all the relevant circumstances are taken into account, for example, the person's ability to pay for or provide the service from an alternative source, in determining if a supplement is warranted.

The number of people in receipt of a crèche supplement in Mayo at the end of 2005 was 10 and the average weekly payment was €61.29. The number of people in receipt of a crèche supplement in Mayo at 13 October 2006 is 9 and the average weekly payment is €80.53.