Written answers

Tuesday, 18 December 2012

Department of Children and Youth Affairs

Child Care Services

Photo of Martin FerrisMartin Ferris (Kerry North-West Limerick, Sinn Fein)
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To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will provide a breakdown of the way that the €16.5 million has been redirected into childcare places for low income workers and targeted early childhood care and education supports for disadvantaged areas. [56777/12]

Photo of Mick WallaceMick Wallace (Wexford, Independent)
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To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her views on whether the joint initiative between her Department and the Department of Social Protection to develop a new after school childcare scheme targeted at low income families will create a two tier system of after school care here; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56763/12]

Photo of Frances FitzgeraldFrances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 74 and 105 together.

As part of Budget 2013, together with my colleague, the Minister for Social Protection, I was pleased to announce the introduction of two new initiatives for children's services, which together are expected to receive funding of up to €16.5 million in 2013.

The first of these is the new 'Area Based Approach to Child Poverty' initiative which is expected to receive €2.5 million in Exchequer funding in 2013. This initiative will build on and continue the work of the Prevention and Early Intervention Programme (PEIP) which has supported projects in Tallaght, Ballymun and Darndale. Like the PEIP, it is also hoped to secure philanthropic funding for the new initiative. In line with the Programme for Government commitment, the new programme will be adopt an area based approach to child poverty which draws on best international practice and existing services to break the cycle of child poverty where it is most deeply entrenched.

In the coming months my Department will be working, in conjunction with the Office of the Tánaiste and key Departments, to expand the number of project sites from 3 to 6 and to evaluate the relevance of existing interventions which have proven to be effective for national level programmes. By 2015, Exchequer funding for the initiative is expected to be in the region of €4.75 million.

The second initiative is the provision of new After-School Childcare places to be managed jointly between my Department and the Department of Social Protection. These places will be targeted at low-income families and supporting parents availing of employment opportunities. The initiative is expected to receive full year funding of €14 million to provide over 6,000 quality after-school places for children attending primary school, as well as supporting parents to take up employment. This is in line with the Government's overall strategy to support parents of low income families to take up employment and demonstrates how Departments are working together to deliver the Government's agenda on promoting employment and supporting children's development.

The new childcare scheme will augment my Department's existing programme of childcare supports for low income families. These include the Community Childcare Subvention (CCS) and the Childcare Education and Training Support (CETS) programmes, both of which provide subsidised childcare for low income parents, together with the universal free Pre-School Year in Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme, available to all children in the relevant age group.

The After School places, as with those funded under the CETS and ECCE programmes, are expected to be available in both commercial and community providers. It is also intended to encourage the provision of services in primary school settings. I do not consider that a two tier system will be a feature since childcare facilities are availed of by a wide cross section of the community, with the State providing both universal supports and additional assistance for parents on the lowest incomes.

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