Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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489. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the date on which she initiated her departmental review of the community child care schemes; when will she invite submissions from sector and interested parties; when the review will be completed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11586/14]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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The Community Childcare Subvention (CCS) programme, the Childcare Education and Training Support (CETS) programme and the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme are implemented by my Department. These programmes represent an annual investment of approximately €260 million and benefits more than 100,000 each year.

My Department has commenced an internal review of the childcare support programmes to consider how best to structure future childcare support to both support working families and to incentivise labour market activation. The review will also examine how the programmes could be expanded to assist a greater number of families when resources permit. The participation of the wider childcare sector in the review will be considered as the internal review progresses and it is not possible at this stage to determine when the review will be finalised.