Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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Question 251: To ask the Minister for Health and Children her views in relation to a matter (details supplied); the actions she proposes to take to assist the persons in question; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41691/10]

Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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Question 252: To ask the Minister for Health and Children her views on a matter (details supplied); the actions she proposes in seeking to address the concerns raised; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41692/10]

Barry Andrews (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 251 and 252 together.

The new Childcare Education and Training Scheme (CETS) was introduced in September of this year and is being implemented by my Office, on behalf of FAS and the Vocational Educational Committees (VECs) under the Department of Education and Science in place of their previous childcare support schemes.

Under the previous FAS and VEC schemes, qualifying students and trainees were given a weekly Childcare Allowance of up to €63.50 per child as a contribution to their childcare costs. Under the new scheme, qualifying students and trainees can avail of childcare places free of charge and almost 3,000 full-time equivalent childcare places have been contracted in some 600 services throughout the State. This is the same number of places as previously provided for and places have been selected on the basis of information provided to my Office by FAS and the Department of Education & Skills. The eligibility criteria are unchanged and continue to be determined by FAS and the VECs.

Childcare services which were already in contract with my Office under either the free Pre-School Year under the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) scheme and/or the Community Childcare Subvention scheme, were written to in June of this year and invited to apply for entry to the CETS scheme with effect from September 2010. Applications were returned to the City and County Childcare Committees in the first instance and then forwarded to my Office for approval. I understand that the service in question was not a participant in either the ECCE or Community Childcare Subvention scheme at that time and did not apply to enter the CETS scheme.

As the CETS scheme replaced two previously existing childcare support schemes, a flexible approach has been taken to ensure that the allocation of places matches the demand in each area from student and trainees with childcare requirements. This has included some adjustments being made to the initial allocation of places since the scheme commenced in September and, in some cases, the inclusion of services which were late in applying for entry. I understand that my Office has no record of an application having been received from the service referred to by the Deputy. However, should the service make a late application to my Office to enter the scheme, it will be processed and advised of the outcome in a matter of days. Assuming the service in question is admitted to the scheme, it would be open to the qualifying FAS trainee referred to by the Deputy to avail of the childcare support through this service.