Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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Each City/County Childcare Committee (CCC) receives funding from the Department of Children and Youth Affairs to implement its Local Implementation Plan, and they also receive funding to provide additional support to childcare providers working with children with disabilities under the Access and Inclusion Model (AIM). In 2016, the total amount allocated to the CCCs is €11.14m.

Thirty three, 33 City and County Childcare Committees (CCCs) were established in 2001 to advance the provision of childcare facilities in their local areas. They comprise local representatives from the statutory, community and voluntary sectors, childcare providers and parents. There are now 30 CCCs, as Limerick City and Limerick County CCCs have amalgamated, as have Waterford City and Waterford County and North and South Tipperary. Each committee has a distinct legal identity and board of directors. City and County Childcare Committees receive funding from my Department for the operations of the Committee, allowing each one to employ staff and implement actions contained in its strategic plan, which is approved by my Department to reflect national policy objectives. Pobal acts as managing agent on behalf of the Department in relation to the performance of individual CCCs. Pobal appraises and monitors the local planning and implementation of activities and outcomes of each CCC associated with my Department's funding, and supports CCCs individually and collectively.

The CCCs support the delivery of the three national childcare programmes; the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Programme, the Community Childcare Subvention (CCS) Programme and the Training and Employment Childcare (TEC) Programme, and provide additional support to childcare providers working with children with disabilities under AIM. The CCCs provide support and guidance to local service providers and parents in relation to the childcare programmes and support quality in keeping with national frameworks and policy objectives. CCCs are also available to co-ordinate and provide training to providers and offer support to families with regard to Early Years services within their respective catchment areas.

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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My Department provides funding to a number of National Voluntary Childcare Organisations (NVCOs), including Barnardos, National Childhood Network, National Childminding Association of Ireland, St. Nicholas' Montessori Society, Irish Steiner Kindergarten Association and the EECE & Play Early Childhood Ireland. To date the total funding provided to these organisations from the childcare budget amounted to €2.4m.