Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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32. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the implications for her Department’s planning for the future of the projections contained in the new study from the Central Statistics Office entitled Population and Labour Force Projections 2016-2046 that predicts a 17% to 20% increase in the number of children of primary school age over the next eight years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21769/13]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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As part of Budget 2013 I, together with my colleague the Minister for Social Protection, announced a new School Age Childcare initiative which will be targeted at low-income parents availing of employment opportunities. The initiative is expected to receive annual funding of €14 million to provide in the region of 6,000 after-school places for children attending primary school, in order to support parents in taking up employment. Preparations are well-advanced for the introduction of a pilot project in a small number of locations, with the national roll-out of the programme planned for September this year. In addition to the new School Age Childcare Programme, my Department provides funding for three other childcare programmes which provide a range of supports to parents of pre-school and after-school children. The Early Childhood Care and Education programme provides a free pre-school year to all eligible children in the year before commencing primary school. The Community Childcare Subvention programme, which is provided through community-based childcare services, enables those services to provide childcare at reduced rates to disadvantaged and low income families. The Childcare Education and Training Support programme provides subvention for childcare places to qualifying trainees and students availing of certain FÁS and VEC courses. My Department provides in the region of €260 million annually to support parents with the cost of childcare under these programmes.

Capital funding grants were made available to child-care providers, both community and commercial, during the years 2000 to 2008 for the development and refurbishment of child-care facilities. Approximately €425 million was invested during this period. In Budget 2012, €6 million was provided for remedial, maintenance and renovation work in established child-care facilities, and to assist these facilities to purchase equipment for early education and child-care services. In Budget 2013, a further €2.75 million has been allocated to support the ongoing improvement of the childcare sector. My Department is currently developing an Early Years Strategy which will cover a range of issues affecting children in their first years of life. The Strategy will bring together and consider a significant amount of international and domestic research on the importance of early years for child development, including findings from the "Growing Up in Ireland" study. It will also be informed by the evaluations of the Prevention and Early Intervention Projects which have been funded jointly by my Department and philanthropic organisations, as well as an analysis of existing service provision and associated resources.

I am satisfied that prior and ongoing investment by my Department in the area of childcare will ensure the availability of high quality care and education for children into the future.