Tommy Broughan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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958. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her plans to address the costs of childcare; how she will ensure that any changes and subsidies she introduces directly benefit the families, for example where subsidies are paid directly to service providers the manner in which she will ensure that prices are not continuously increasing; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26933/16]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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The DCYA currently administers four targeted childcare programmes to support low income families. These are:

1. Community Childcare Subvention Programme (CCS)

2. Childcare Education and Training Support Programme (CETS),

3. After-School Childcare Programme (ASC)

4. Community Employment Childcare Programme (CEC).

These four programmes are administratively very complex and are widely varied in terms of budget, access and eligibility criteria, rates, duration and coverage (in terms of the type and number of childcare services participating in the programmes).

The Report of the Inter-Departmental Group (IDG) on Future Investment in Childcare considered these targeted childcare programmes as part of their work and made recommendations for reform. Essentially, it was recommended that all targeted childcare programmes be merged into one single targeted childcare programme with eligibility for a childcare subsidy under the new programme being determined by income only. The IDG also recommended that State subsidisation of childcare should be paid directly to services as this allows important leverage of quality improvements. Direct payment to services has also been found internationally to be the best way to control costs.

Under Budget 2016 funding to convene a Design Team to develop the single affordable childcare programme was allocated. Work on the new single scheme is advancing. The intention of the new Scheme is to replace the existing targeted schemes with a new streamlined subsidy scheme which is more accessible for parents and providers, which enhances affordability and which provides a flexible platform for future investment in childcare in Ireland. In line with these objectives, the proposed scheme is designed flexibly so that it can be developed and expanded over time.

I brought the proposals for the new Scheme to the Cabinet Sub-committee on September 15th and intend to submit the proposals formally to Government in the near future. I also intend to commission a study on the cost of childcare provision in Ireland before the end of 2016 to inform further policy development.

In developing policy proposals, careful consideration has been given to the issues raised by the Deputy in terms of ensuring that new arrangements will directly benefit families, further details on this will be made available following Government consideration of the proposals.