Sandra McLellan (Cork East, Sinn Fein)
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To ask the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide an update in the delivery of the bankable commitment to childcare that she promised would precede the lowering of the lone parent payment cut off age; and the recent discussions she has had with the Department of Children and Youth Affairs and the Department of Education and Skills regarding increasing the availability of affordable after-school care. [44555/12]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The inter-departmental group (IDG) on school-age childcare consists of representatives from the Department of Social Protection, the Department of Children and Youth Affairs, (DCYA) – which is the lead Department in relation to child care policy and provision – and the Department of Education and Skills. The role of the group is to explore the best possible model for enhancing the provision of school-age childcare to assist in meeting the childcare needs of the customers of my Department, including lone parents. The model in question will address the childcare requirements of children aged between 7 and 12 (inclusive) and will also address the child care required during both the school term and the school holidays.

Extensive work has been completed by the IDG to quantify the level of school-age childcare required to support the relevant social welfare income support recipients, in particular lone parents, for each year up to and including 2015. An examination has been completed of existing childcare schemes and the capital investments already made by DCYA in this sector. The completed model and proposals will be submitted to Government for approval.

In addition to this work, I have had the opportunity, with my officials to examine the childcare in Sweden. The information and experience gained will provide valuable input to the on-going work of the IDG on school-age childcare.