Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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676. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if he will provide a programme to offer greater out-of-school support (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30556/15]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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My Department administers a number of programmes which provide after-school and out-of-school childcare, including:

The After-School Childcare (ASCC) Programme, which provides after-school childcare for primary school children of eligible parents for a period of 52 weeks. This Programme contributes €40 per week for an after-school place or €80 per week in situations where the childcare service provides a pick-up service that collects the child from school. The Programme also provides a full day care rate of €105 per week, for a maximum of 10 weeks, to cater for school holiday periods. In all cases, the maximum fee payable by parents is €15 per week per child. Eligibility for this Programme is determined by the Department of Social Protection.

The Community Employment Childcare (CEC) programme, which is targeted specifically at participants in the Community Employment (CE) schemes operated by the Department of Social Protection. Under this programme, €80 per week is provided for pre-school places for children up to the age of 5 and €40 per week for after-school places for primary school children up to the age of 13, with a set charge of €15 per week to the parent in either case. The programme also provides a part time day care rate of €80 per week, for a maximum of 10 weeks, to cater for school holiday periods. Places are approved for 50 weeks. Eligibility for the CEC programme is determined by the Department of Social Protection.

The Childcare Education and Training Support (CETS) programme, which provides childcare places, including part-time and after-school places, to qualifying Solas or Education and Training Boards (ETB) trainees or students for the duration of their courses. Eligibility for the CETS programme is determined by the Department of Education and Skills.

The Community Childcare Subvention (CCS) programme, which provides funding to community childcare services to enable them to provide quality childcare, including after-school care, at reduced rates to disadvantaged and low income working parents.

The recent Report of the Inter-Departmental Group on Future Investment in Early Years and After-School Care and Education, which I established earlier this year, sets out a range of options for future investment to enhance affordability, increase the accessibility and improve the quality of early years, after-school and out-of-school childcare, including the development of quality standards for after-school childcare, a capital fund to support the development of after-school childcare services, consultation with children on after-school childcare, and ultimately a subvention system to amalgamate existing Programmes. The options in this Report are being considered as part of the Estimates Process for 2016.