Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Question 173: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the number of child care places currently available here; the number this has increased by since 2006 to date in 2009; the percentage of children to whom child care is available between the ages of three and the mandatory school going age; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19647/09]

Barry Andrews (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy will be aware I have responsibility for the National Childcare Investment Programme 2006-2010 (NCIP) and for the recently-announced scheme to provide a free pre-school year in early childhood care and education (ECCE).

By the end of 2007, almost 40,000 new childcare places had been created under the Exchequer/EU co-funded Equal Opportunities Childcare Programme (EOCP). The National Childcare Investment Programme 2006-2010 (NCIP), the successor Programme to the NCIP, was introduced in 2006. The NCIP was designed to build on the EOCP investment, with its main objective being to increase the number of childcare places by a further 50,000.

By the end of 2008, approximately €180m of the NCIP's capital allocation of €358m had been committed. In light of the current economic climate, no further capital commitments are being entered into. It is anticipated that by 2010 capital expenditure under the NCIP will have resulted in the creation of 25,000 additional childcare places. More than 10,000 of these places are for pre-school children.

The Government has invested in the region of €1 billion over the last decade in developing the childcare infrastructure. More than 70,000 additional childcare places will have been created by this investment by 2010.

Other than those funded under the investment programmes which I have referred to, I do not have details in relation to the total number of childcare places currently available. However, officials in the Childcare Directorate of my Office will be undertaking a census of the almost 4,700 pre-school services notified to the Heath Service Executive in September of this year and this should provide information in this regard.

I have received many representations from childcare facilities in recent months reporting vacancy rates of up to 25% due to the economic downturn. I am also aware of a number of people, many of whom are qualified childcare workers, who are now considering investing in a childcare business as the new pre-school scheme will provide a degree of certainty which exists in very few areas today. In addition, many childcare services which to date have only operated in the mornings, are now considering offering an additional session to meet an increase in local demand. I am confident, therefore, that, except in exceptional cases, any parent who wishes to avail of a pre-school place for their child will be in a position to do so.