Noel Rock (Dublin North West, Fine Gael)
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285. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of applications she has received on the payment of subsidised crèche places in north-west County Dublin. [16446/16]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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My Department operates a number of programmes that provide subsidised childcare for eligible parents. These programmes primarily support childcare in formal settings such as preschools and crèches, some of which are run by community/not-for profit organisations, and some by private providers. These include:-

- The After-School Childcare (ASCC) programme that provides after-school care for primary school children of eligible parents for a period of 52 weeks. Eligibility for the programme is determined by the Department of Social Protection. The 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.

- 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 provides funding to childcare services to enable them to provide quality childcare, including after-school care, at reduced rates to disadvantaged and low income working parents.

There were 760 applications received for subsidised childcare places, in the programme year 2015/2016, from the Dublin North West region (identified as Dublin 9 and Dublin 11 postal districts). The following table provides a breakdown of the number of applications received across After-School Childcare (ASCC), Community Employment Childcare (CEC), Childcare Education and Training Support (CETS), Community Childcare Subvention (CCS) and Community Childcare Subvention Private (CCSP), for the programme year 2015/2016.