Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein)
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Question 337: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if he will review the allocation of child care places in Buncrana, County Donegal, for clients wishing to progress onto FÁS training programmes and ultimately employment; and if any unused places within the vocational educational committee allocation may be utilised by the FÁS participants. [12399/11]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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The new Childcare Education and Training Support (CETS) programme was introduced in September of last year and is implemented by the Childcare Directorate in the new Department of Children and Youth Affairs, on behalf of FÁS and the Vocational Educational Committees (VECs).

The CETS programme replaces the previous childcare support programmes implemented by FÁS and the VECs under which qualifying students and trainees were paid a weekly Childcare Allowance of up to €63.50 per child as a contribution to their childcare costs. Under the new CETS programme, qualifying students and trainees can avail of childcare places free of charge, with the Childcare Directorate paying providers a weekly capitation rate of €170 for each full-time childcare place. The eligibility criteria continue to be determined by the Department of Education and Skills and FÁS.

One childcare service in the Buncrana area is currently participating in the CETS programme and is providing places for 17 full-time VEC students and 1 part-time VEC student. Applications from services, both new and existing participants in the CETS programme, in respect of the period September 2011 to August 2012 are currently being processed and services admitted to the programme will be informed of the number of FÁS and VEC places they will be allocated as part of this process.

The match between the allocation of CETS places and their utilisation by both FÁS and VEC students and trainees, is monitored by the Childcare Directorate and the 33 City or County Childcare Committees. Where a parent has difficulty in accessing a CETS place, he or she should contact the local Childcare Committee to request a place and, in every case where it is possible, the Childcare Directorate will arrange for a suitable childcare place to be allocated. I understand that no such request from the Buncrana area has been made to either the Childcare Directorate or Donegal County Childcare Committee.