Written answers

Wednesday, 22 April 2009

Department of Health and Children

Child Care Services

10:00 pm

Photo of Mary UptonMary Upton (Dublin South Central, Labour)
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Question 247: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if she will address the concerns of the community child care workers (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15114/09]

Photo of Mary HarneyMary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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The Community Child care Subvention Scheme (CCSS) is implemented under the National Childcare Investment Programme (NCIP) 2006 -2010 for which I have responsibility. With regard to the proposals received by the Deputy in relation to the CCSS, the following is the position. The objective of both the previous support schemes under the Equal Opportunities Childcare Programme (EOCP), and the CCSS, has been to provide funding to community child care services to enable them to charge reduced fees to disadvantaged and low income parents. Under the previous scheme, participating services were required to charge tiered fees based on ability to pay, however, many of them did not implement this requirement. Under the CCSS, specific subvention rates have been set with 3 categories of parents benefiting from subvented fee rates and parents who do not qualify for subvention paying the full economic cost of their child care places(s). Neither scheme provides for core funding and to do so would be discriminatory vis a vis commercial child care providers who cannot benefit from the scheme.

The CCSS is a targeted scheme available only to services provided in community child care facilities, and the Deputy's proposal to set Band C eligibility by reference to the average industrial wage would, therefore, be discriminatory to the majority of parents using commercial child care services and who are not benefiting from the scheme. Also eligibility by reference to the average industrial wage would require services to seek details of parents' earnings whereas the CCSS is based on existing means tested criteria which include receipt of social welfare payment, family income supplement (FIS) or having a GP visit or Medical Card. Eligibility for the medical and GP visit cards takes account of factors relevant to disadvantage and low income, and is considered a reasonable basis on which to set the upper threshold at which parents qualify.

As the CCSS is a publicly funded support scheme for community services targeted at low income and disadvantaged parents, it is necessary that it is based on clear and transparent criteria which measure the actual level of service provision as well as the level of disadvantage of the parents availing of the participating service. A discretionary scheme would not meet these requirements. The CCSS also assists services in ensuring that they operate on the basis of a sustainable business model based on a fee structure which is appropriate to their actual operating costs.

It should be noted that funding provided under the previous EOCP scheme amounted to €37 million in 2007. Funding provided under the CCSS amounted to €52m in 2008, and is expected to increase to €56m in 2009. The September 2008 service returns indicated that there had been a significant increase in the number of children attending services, not just in the disadvantaged cohort, but also among middle and upper-income families. As there is no prospect of additional funding being provided to increase the current subvention rates an increase in the Band C subvention rate would require a reduction in either the Band A rate, the Band B rate or a combination of both.

To co-ordinate the provision of quality child care training a new Workforce Development Plan is being developed by the Early Education Unit in my Office. This will have a positive impact on the career paths of child care workers and should help retain personnel in the child care sector. The recent Budget announcement of the introduction of a free pre-school year in early childhood care and education (ECCE) from January next will also help to sustain thousands of jobs in the child care sector. The scheme will provide a capitation grant of over €2,400 to participating services.

Photo of Tom HayesTom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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Question 248: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the position in the case of a child care group (details supplied) in County Tipperary who have applied for funding. [15120/09]

Photo of Tom HayesTom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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Question 249: To ask the Minister for Health and Children when funding will be made available to a community playgroup (details supplied) in County Tipperary; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15129/09]

Photo of Mary HarneyMary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 248 and 249 together.

Both of the queries raised by the Deputy relate to grant funding under the National Childcare Investment Programme (NCIP) 2006 -2010, which is implemented by my Office with the assistance of Pobal.

As the Deputy may be aware, the finalisation of the latest portfolio of capital grant applications, under the NCIP, was delayed pending the introduction of the recent Supplementary Budget. Following decisions in the budget the capital allocation now available for 2009/2010 will meet existing capital grant commitments but will not be sufficient to allow for the approval of any additional grant applications. It is therefore not possible to approve the capital grant application for the group referred to by the Deputy at this time. My Office will be writing to the group shortly to advise them of this outcome.

In relation to the Deputy's query in regard to funding under the Community Childcare Subvention Scheme (CCSS), also under the NCIP, I understand that the group in question has been advised that it's funding allocation for 2009 is €20,000 and that Pobal is in the process of making the quarterly payment.

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