Pearse Doherty (Donegal South West, Sinn Fein)
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550. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the average cost of child care in Dublin; the average cost of child care across the State; and the number of child care places in Dublin as a percentage of the number of children. [17560/14]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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Based on the response to a survey of childcare providers carried out by Pobal in 2012 the average weekly cost of a full-time childcare place across the State is €167 with the average weekly cost for a full-time place for a child less than 1 year being €174. While the survey does not specifically compare the cost of childcare in Dublin it does make a comparison between costs in urban and rural facilities. This comparison shows that the average full-time weekly cost in urban settings is €177.50 with the weekly cost in rural setting being some 13% less at €158.

The Government does support parents with the cost of childcare with approximately €260 million being allocated annually to provide for three childcare support programmes which are implemented by my Department. More that 100,000 children benefit each year from this investment.

The number of childcare places in Dublin is not collated and is not available to my Department.