Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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218. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if he continues to fund voluntary agencies involved in providing child care; if he will provide further resources; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3662/16]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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My Department provides significant funding to a number of Voluntary Childcare Organisations (VCOs) which provide quality support within the childcare sector. Details of the funding provided to these Organisations in 2015 is provided in the following table.

The Department of Children and Youth Affairs recently introduced the Better Start Initiative with the objective of applying an integrated national approach to the development of quality in early years education and care for children aged from birth to six years in Ireland. This initiative is designed to co-ordinate and to extend the choice of supports and services already provided through all of the stakeholders in the quality process, including the VCOs.

In 2016 the Department will be commencing the preparation of a Better Start Strategy, which will involve consideration of the roles of all the stakeholders, including the Tusla Early Years Inspectorate, Pobal, the Early Years Specialist Service, the Department of Education and Skills Early Years Inspectorate, the City and County Childcare Committees, and the VCOs.