Jim Daly (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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684. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if he is considering the introduction of any financial assistance for parents wishing to avail of the increasing number of out-of-hours care provision in primary schools in the upcoming budget; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31588/15]

Jim Daly (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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708. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the steps he is taking to assist with the introduction of out-of-hours care services beginning to operate in schools; if he will consider bringing to Cabinet any financial incentives as part of Budget 2016 to further assist working parents with subscribing to such programmes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31583/15]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 684 and 708 together.

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, consultation with children on after-school childcare, a subvention system to amalgamate existing Programmes and a capital fund to support the development of after-school childcare on school premises.

The Minister for Education and Skills is 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, Minister O'Sullivan 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.

The options in the Report of the Inter-Departmental Group are currently being considered as part of the Estimates Process for 2016.