Written answers

Tuesday, 3 November 2015

Department of Children and Youth Affairs

Child Care Services Provision

Photo of Eric ByrneEric Byrne (Dublin South Central, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

609. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if he will support an organisation (details supplied) in Dublin 10; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37709/15]

Photo of James ReillyJames Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

My Department currently provides approximately €260 million annually to childcare services in both the private and community/not for profit sectors for the delivery of a number of childcare support programmes. This investment supports more than 100,000 children each year.

Community/not for profit childcare providers are eligible to participate in all of the childcare programmes implemented by my Department. I announced in Budget 2016 additional annual funding of €85 million to support the achievement of affordable, accessible, high quality childcare. This funding represents an increase of 33% in the annual investment in childcare supports and provides for the significant enhancement of a number of programmes implemented by my Department.

In relation to the childcare service referred to by the Deputy, funding totalling €333,672 has been provided to this service under the Community Childcare Subvention (CCS) programme since 2012. This enables the service to provide childcare at reduced rates to low income and disadvantaged families. I recently announced the lifting of restrictions on the provision of additional places by community services participating in the CCS programme. This will enable services to increase the number of children and the services provided for under the programme.

Further funding totalling €34,186 was provided to the service under the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme during this period. I wish to point out that in Budget 2016 I announced the expansion of the ECCE programme to provide pre-school places for children when they reach the age of 3 years until they make the transition to primary school. I also restored the capitation payments to pre-2012 levels which means that the standard capitation payment will be increased from €62.50 to €64.50 per week for each eligible child and the higher capitation rate from €73 to €75 per child per week. This will assist childcare providers to address some of the cost issues that impact on their services.

My officials recently made enquiries with Pobal, who administer the funding under the Community Childcare Subvention on behalf of my Department. Pobal report that, based on the financial returns made by the service to Pobal, they would have no concerns with regard to the sustainability of the service at that point in time.

Comments

No comments

Log in or join to post a public comment.