Seán Kyne (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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29. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the steps he and his Department are taking to increase access to child care, including increasing investment; if consideration is being given to utilising school infrastructure, where possible, to increase capacity; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20405/15]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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Funding of more than a quarter of a billion euro is provided annually by my Department to support the implementation of a number of childcare support programmes that assist parents in accessing quality childcare services. This funding, which is in addition to the direct support provided to all parents in the form of Child Benefit, supports more than 100,000 children each year.

To ensure that all the benefits of current (and future) investment are fully realised, it must be evidence-based and strategically coordinated. Accordingly, I have established an Inter-Departmental Group to develop a coherent whole-of-Government approach to investment in childcare. This Group is considering the needs of children in their early years as well as the needs of school-going children. The Group will submit its report to Government in June 2015.

The issue of school ownership impacts on the extent to which the State can influence how primary schools use any additional facilities or space they may have. The vast majority of primary school buildings in the country are in private ownership. Of the 3,278 primary schools in 2014, only 190 (6%) are in the ownership of the Minister for Education and Skills. The remaining 94% of primary schools are in private ownership. The State has no authority to compel Patrons who are the owners of school sites to accommodate childcare services on their own property.

I am aware that the Minister for Education and Skills is, however, supportive of coherent measures that facilitate greater community use of schools while respecting the core role of schools. In relation to use of existing school premises, my colleague is of the view that, in the first instance the core role of a school in delivering education to its student body has to be paramount and any additional activities have to adhere to that core role. There are also a number of practical issues, such as lease terms, insurance, etc., that need to be properly examined for schools considering additional activities on their premises.

Notwithstanding these issues, the Inter-Departmental Group will give consideration to the use of the school infrastructure for future delivery of childcare, particularly for after-school and out-of-school care.