Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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711. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the position regarding assistance towards child care cost in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34172/14]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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My Department implements a number of programmes to support parents with the cost of childcare.

The Community Childcare Subvention (CCS) programme provides funding to community childcare services to enable them to provide quality childcare at reduced rates to disadvantaged and low income working parents. The CCS programme, which is not provided through private or commercial childcare services, provides support for sessional pre-school, full time, part time and after school places, is targeted benefit primarily to lower income and disadvantaged families, and eligibility is based on means-tested entitlements. Parents who qualify for support can have their weekly childcare costs substantially reduced.

The Childcare Education and Training Support (CETS) programme supports parents who are endeavouring to enter or return to the workforce and who are participating in training or educational courses for this purpose. Under the CETS programme, childcare services are contracted to provide childcare places to qualifying Solas or Education and Training Boards (ETB) trainees or students for the duration of their courses. This programme also provides part time and after school places. Eligibility of training courses for support under the CETS programme is determined by the relevant training authority and the local Solas or ETB office should be able to advise.