Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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238. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his views on the suggestions by the Irish National Teachers Organisation that related capital investment will be necessary if the programme for Government commitment on having schools available for child care services can be successfully implemented; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34774/16]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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An interdepartmental working group has been established with officials from my Department and the Department of Children and Youth Affairs to progress the key commitments in the Programme for a Partnership Government (May 2016), in order to improve the range and quality of options for Parents for after-school care for school-age children. My department has undertaken to consider how to facilitate the use of school buildings for this purpose.

As part of this work, the Group will consider and assess the following;

- Development of quality standards framework for after school provision

- Existing provision of after school care of school-age children

- Existing use of school buildings

- Capacity and demand for services

- Children's views on after-school care

- An appropriate quality and standards framework

- The development of criteria for the capital scheme to be funded by DCYA under Budget 2016

- Collaborative models with existing community/private service providers

- Potential funding incentives for provision of services

I expect to receive the group’s report within the next few weeks.  As part of my engagement with the education partners on how to facilitate the wider use of school buildings for the community, I discussed relevant issues with them at a round table before the Summer.