Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Independent)
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Question 59: To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the plans, if any, she has to expand either community child care subvention programme or other child care supports; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33229/12]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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My Department currently administers three support programmes - the Community Childcare Subvention (CCS) programme, the Childcare Education and Training Support (CETS) programme and the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme.

The Community Childcare Subvention (CCS) programme provides funding to community child care not-for-profit services to enable them to charge reduced child care rates to low income and disadvantaged families. Community child care services qualify for grant aid on the basis of the level of service they provide and the profile of the parents benefiting from their service. Because of the current budgetary situation no new applications, for entry into the CCS programme, by service providers are being considered at this time.

The Childcare Education and Training Support (CETS) programme was introduced in September 2010. The CETS programme provides free child care places in both community and commercial services to qualifying FÁS and Vocational Educational Committees (VECs) trainees and students. Again, due to the budgetary situation, no approvals for new child care places are currently being considered under this programme. In the region of €63 million is being provided in 2012 to support the CCS and CETS programmes.

The Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme provides one free pre-school year to all eligible children in the year before commencing primary school. Both community and commercial child care services are eligible to apply to participate in this programme. Due to demographic pressures, which mean that the number of children eligible for the programme will increase by some 3,000, the cost of the programme is expected to rise to almost €176 million in 2012, an increase of almost €10 million and this funding has been provided for. The ECCE programme will continue to be evaluated and developed as resources permit.

Future developments relating to early years care and education will be considered during preparation of the new National Early Years Strategy 2012.