Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

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 on the basis of the level of service they provide and the profile of the parents benefiting from their service. Parental declaration forms are submitted in the Autumn of each year to my Department and the PPS numbers of those parents are transmitted to the Department of Social Protection (DPS) and the HSE for verification. Information supplied by the DSP and HSE is used to determine the level of subvention which applies to each individual parent. Following verification, letters issue to participating services confirming the total annual CCS subvention amount approved for that service together with a list of qualifying parents and confirmation of the subvention level applied to each parent. Services are also advised that if any parent disagrees with the level of subvention applied to them, they have a right of appeal. The deadline for the submission of appeals was 1st February last. In the region of 5,000 appeals were received and were examined by officials in my Department. I understand that the appeal against the initial determination of subvention submitted by this person has been successful. The service has been advised of this outcome.