Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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303. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if she will confirm (details supplied) if €14 million is being spent every year and if the 6,000 places available are actually being taken up. [18706/14]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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In Budget 2013, a joint initiative between the Department of Social Protection and the Department of Children and Youth Affairs was announced to provide subsidised after-school childcare places for low-income and unemployed persons who enter employment. The purpose of the after-school child care (ASCC) scheme is to help offset some of the after-school childcare costs that are associated with availing of an employment opportunity in a bid to encourage more individuals to take up employment.

The scheme was funded from savings of €14 million from the Department. There are 42 children availing of ASCC childcare places as at 23^rdApril 2014. Due to the low take up of places the €14m funding has been re-focused for 2014 to support customers on community employment (CE) programmes via the childcare education and training scheme (CETS). To date 237 places have been taken up on the CE CETS scheme.

The €14m budget has been re-allocated in 2014 as follows:

The afterschool childcare scheme continues to be available nationally in 2014 with funding of €2m ring-fenced for these customers providing 800 places. The allocation of places and funding for both the ASCC and CE CETS will continue to be monitored and reviewed during 2014.