Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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Question 96: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the implications of the cessation of the National Childcare Investigation Programme 2006 to 2010; and the new arrangements for funding this sector. [14450/10]

Barry Andrews (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I have responsibility for implementing the National Childcare Investment Programme 2006-2010 (NCIP) which is a multi-annual programme to improve the availability and quality of childcare options, primarily through capital grant-aiding the construction and refurbishment of childcare facilities and the Community Childcare Subvention Scheme (CCSS) which provides current support grants for community services.

The initial allocation to the programme was €575 million over five years, of which €358 million was in respect of capital and €217 million was in respect of current expenditure. Due to the economic downturn, the capital grant programme was closed to new applicants in 2009, at which point approximately €190 million of its allocation had been committed and approximately €152 million had been drawn down. NCIP capital expenditure in 2010 is expected to amount to €30 million and the total number of new childcare places created is expected to amount to 25,000. From 2011 onwards, a smaller capital programme designed to maintain the existing infrastructure is expected to be allocated.

The NCIP current allocation has increased to €239 million, largely due to an increased allocation of approximately €17 million to the CCSS, bringing its total allocation to approximately €165 million over 2008-2010. The CCSS supports some 900 community childcare services, enabling them to charge reduced childcare fees to approximately 30,000 disadvantaged and low income working parents. The CCSS will be replaced in September 2010 by a new Community Childcare Subvention (CCS) scheme which will maintain the existing rates of childcare supports for parents in receipt of social welfare benefits and improve the rates of childcare supports for parents in low income employment and parents in training and education.

In addition, in January of this year, I introduced the new free Pre-School Year in Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) scheme with an annual allocation of €170 million. The ECCE scheme provides a free pre-school year to all children in the year before commencing primary school. Children qualify for the year when they are aged between 3 years 3 months and 4 years 6 months in September of the relevant year. I am pleased to say that over 51,000 children, or 80% of children in the year before starting school, are availing of the free pre-school year at this point with a further 5% of children availing of a pre-school year under the CCSS scheme.