Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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215. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if the introduction of the new affordable child care scheme will necessitate any changes to legislation; and if an amendment will be required to the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 to add her Department or another body to Schedule 5. [36479/16]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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I am very pleased that from September 2017, a new Affordable Childcare Scheme will be introduced to provide financial support for parents towards the cost of childcare.

The scheme will be set out in primary legislation, encompassing:

- clear and detailed rules for the assessment of income and the provision of subsidies;

- clearly prescribed authority in relation to the sharing of data across public bodies and administrators; and

- comprehensive provisions in relation to the powers and obligations of the scheme administrator.

The primary legislation will take account of all necessary amendments to existing legislation, including any changes which may be required to the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2015.