Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of children in low income households that will benefit under the community childcare subvention programme in 2013; the way this compares to 2012; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56126/12]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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The Community Childcare Subvention (CCS) programme is implemented by my Department and provides funding to community-based childcare services to enable them to provide childcare at reduced rates to disadvantaged and lower income families.

For the purpose of the CCS programme, disadvantage and low income are determined by reference to a range of means-tested allowances and payments including receipt of a social welfare payment, Family Income Supplement (FIS) and qualification for a medical or GP visit card. Eligibility for a GP visit card is based on net income and takes account of outgoings such as rent and mortgage repayments and other expenses including childcare costs and travelling expenses. As a result, parents with middle incomes may also benefit from subvention.

Parental returns are submitted by participating community childcare services to my Department following the commencement of each school year and the information in these returns is verified by the Department of Social Protection to determine the parents that are eligible for support under the programme. The information supplied in the returns submitted in September 2012, following the commencement of the 2012-2013 school year, is currently being collated and it is expected that a provisional figure for the number of children availing of the programme in this school year will be available shortly. In the school year 2011-2012 approximately 26,000 children were supported under the CCS programme.

Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs in view of the low number of voluntary and Health Service Executive notified child-minders nationally, her plans to regulate this sector by bringing all paid child-minders under the Child Care Pre-School Regulations 2006; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56132/12]

Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs in view of the fact that the only local support to non-regulated child-minders is provided through the Health Service Executive funded child-minders advisory worker post within a number of county childcare committees, the way in which this sector will be supported when HSE funding is discontinued; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56133/12]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 159 and 160 together.

My Department has begun work on Ireland’s first Early Years Strategy which will provide an innovative and dynamic blueprint for the future development of Ireland’s Early Years sector aimed at providing a coherent approach to seeking to improve the lives of children from birth to age six.

One of the issues of policy which I have identified for consideration in the preparation of the new Strategy is the development of the childminding sector as a fully-integrated component of early childhood care and education, in particular for the under-one age group.

At present pre-school services are regulated under the Child Care (Pre-School Services) (No.2) Regulations 2006, as provided for under Part VII of the Child Care Act 1991.

Services providing care for children who have not yet commenced primary school are required to notify their service to the Pre-School Inspectorate of the Health Service Executive (HSE) and are subject to inspection and report by the Inspectorate on a regular basis. Services covered by the Regulations include full-time, part-time and sessional services as well as childminders taking care of more than three pre-school children from different families in the childminder’s home.

The National Guidelines for Childminders, compiled by the National Childcare Co-ordinating Committee which oversees the development of an integrated childcare infrastructure throughout the country, provide guidance to childminders on good practice, and assist them to decide whether they are subject to the Regulations, as well as providing other useful information on the role of the childminder in the provision of childcare services.

As is the case with all regulatory requirements, the Child Care Regulations set the minimum standards which services are legally required to comply with. However, my Department is pro-active in monitoring, promoting and developing the highest standards of care and education throughout the sector, including the regulatory environment, given the important role which these services play in this crucial phase of children’s lives.

My Department provides annual funding to each CCC to enable it to support and advise all childcare providers at local level. In 2012, the total amount allocated to the CCCs was €11.3m.

I understand that there has been reduction in funding by the Health Service Executive (HSE) to City and County Childcare Committees in some areas. The HSE has, however, confirmed that it will endeavour to support the CCCs wherever possible. I have asked my Department to engage further with the Committees and the HSE and to provide a report to me on this matter.

My Department also provides annual funding, totalling €2.85m in 2012, to the seven National Voluntary Childcare Organisations, who provide support at a local level to their members.

Of the childminders covered by the Regulations, 257 had notified the HSE at the end of 2011, the last full year for which figures are available and also at that date, 1,250 childminders not covered by the Regulations had voluntarily notified the HSE.