Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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184. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her plans to introduce a minimum subsidy of €20,000 for small community crèches in isolated rural areas and islands as existed previously to ensure these communities have access to child care; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30129/16]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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There is currently a minimum subsidy of €20,000 for a small number of childcare services funded under the Community Childcare Subvention (CCS) Programme. This top-up payment originated in the transition from the Equal Opportunities Childcare Programme (EOCP) funding to the Community Childcare Subvention Scheme (CCSS) and was ostensibly to support rurally isolated service providers with small numbers of children to maintain viability.

However, the introduction of CCS, CETS and ECCE necessitated a review of this support. In order to receive the subsidy a service must meet specific criteria and be unable to sustain operations without a guaranteed minimum funding level.

The combined level of funding, from all childcare programmes administered by the Department, must not exceed €20,000 or a pro-rata amount linked to the number of weeks open if less than 50. There are no plans to add new services at this time.

Those childcare services in receipt of this top-up payment are made aware the payment remains under review each year.