Brian Walsh (Galway West, Independent)
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1237. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will extend eligibility for the child care employment and training support scheme to include access courses and third level college courses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33928/14]

Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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Childcare assistance was introduced in the late 1990s as a way of providing assistance to people with less than upper second level education who faced barriers in returning to education and were distant from the labour market. The Budget 2010 decision to rationalise childcare support schemes, saw the establishment of the Childcare Education and Training Support (CETS) scheme, which is administered by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs.

The criteria set by my Department for the CETS scheme provides for supports for the childcare needs of participants in VTOS, Youthreach, BTEI and some SOLAS training programmes.

It is not intended to extend the eligibility criteria for this scheme beyond the current programmes.