Ciara Conway (Waterford, Labour)
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287. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if a person on the national internship scheme, JobBridge, is entitled to the community childcare subvention; when this category first became entitled to access it; the number of applicants or parents on JobBridge currently in receipt of it; the number of children it supports; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47032/14]

Ciara Conway (Waterford, Labour)
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288. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the amount allocated in his estimates for the community childcare subvention in 2013 and 2014; the amount spent in 2013; the projected spend for 2014; the number of parents and children it supported in each year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47033/14]

Ciara Conway (Waterford, Labour)
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289. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if he will provide in tabular form the number of those in receipt of, or qualified for the community child care subsidy in 2013 and 2014; if he will provide a breakdown of the number of parents on community employment, Tús, Gateway, back to work enterprise allowance, back to education allowance, part-time job incentive, JobBridge, springboard or ETB Solas courses who qualified for the CCS; the number of children supported; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47034/14]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 287 to 289, inclusive, together.

The Community Childcare Subvention (CCS) programme, which provides support for sessional pre-school, full time, part time and after school places, is targeted at disadvantaged or low income families and eligibility is based on means-tested entitlements.

In 2013 an allocation of €44 million was made to provide for the expected demand from eligible parents enrolling their children under the CCS programme. However the demand was in excess of that provided for and the actual spend for the year totalled €47 million. It is expected that approximately €45 million will be spent on supporting eligible parents availing of the programme in 2014.

The number of parents who availed of support under the CCS programme in the school year 2012-2013, from information provided in the parental electronic returns, was 19,844 with 24,907 children enrolled. In the school year 2013-2014 the number of parents supported under the programme was 19,079 with 23,728 children enrolled. The figures provided reflect the number of parents and children included in the electronic parental returns and are a measure of the number of children enrolled in a 'snap shot' week early in the school year. It is the case that some of these children will leave the programme and be replaced by other eligible children as the school year progresses. The figure for these replacements is not available but from information provided by participating childcare services it is shown that a substantial number of additional children not covered in the electronic returns would receive support under the programme.

The parental returns for the current school year 2014-2015 are presently being submitted and therefore figures for this period are not currently available.

The JobBridge scheme, which is implemented by the Department of Social Protection, is a National Internship Scheme which provides work experience placements for unemployed people. Participants in the JobBridge scheme receive a weekly allowance of €50 in addition to any social welfare entitlement they may have.

Participants in the JobBridge scheme do not, on the basis of participation in the scheme, automatically qualify for subvention under the CCS programme but qualify on the basis of their underlying social welfare entitlement. For example, a parent who was in receipt of Job Seekers benefit and who holds a medical card qualifies for a subvention payment of €50 per week towards the cost of full-time childcare. If the parent enters the JobBridge scheme they will continue to be subvented at the rate of €50 per week for the duration of their participation in the scheme.

The first applications from parents participating in the JobBridge scheme were submitted in the parental returns made by childcare providers to this Department in October 2012.

The data in relation to the number of parents who qualified for support under the CCS programme on the basis of their participation in State sponsored schemes or the receipt of allowances as outlined in the Deputy's Questions, and the data in relation to the JobBridge scheme is currently being compiled by officials in my Department and will be forwarded directly to the Deputy.