John O'Mahony (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will a receive rebate on their childcare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16587/13]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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My Department implements the Community Childcare Subvention (CCS) programme which provides funding to community childcare services to enable them to charge reduced childcare rates to low income and disadvantaged families.

Community childcare services qualify for grant aid based on the level of service they provide and the profile of the parents benefiting from their service. Parental returns are submitted in the Autumn of each year to my Department by the service provider and funding is provided on the basis of these returns . These returns give details of all parents who, during one 'snap shot' week, have children enrolled in the participating childcare service.

The child referred to by the Deputy was not enrolled in the service in the relevant week and therefore could not be considered for subvention. Children who enrol after the parental returns have been submitted can be funded if they are replacing a child who was enrolled during the 'snap shot' week and has since left the programme.