Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if it is her intention to introduce an age ceiling of 15 years for existing disabled children receiving subvention for all day childcare services; if so, the reason for same, in view of the fact that children are ineligible to apply for the disability allowance until 16 years of age; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51122/12]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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The Community Childcare Subvention (CCS) programme is implemented by my Department and provides support to community childcare services to enable them to provide childcare at reduced rates to low income families and to families where one or both parents is in receipt of a social welfare payment.

The CCS programme provides support to all qualifying parents including those parents whose children have special needs. The upper age limit for all children availing of the subvention support under this programme is 15 years and this upper age threshold has been in existence since the CCS programme was introduced in 2010.

Issues relating to disability allowance or other income supports for children with disabilities is a matter for the Department of Social Protection.