Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein)
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274. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if her attention has been drawn to challenges facing child care providers in the community setting due to recent changes in regulation; the action she will take; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6553/17]

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein)
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275. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her views on whether it is essential that disadvantaged communities have access to three years child care services; if her attention has been drawn to the fact that some providers may struggle to provide such a service due to recent changes in regulation; and the action she will take. [6554/17]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 274 and 275 together.

Since early 2016 the Department of Children & Youth Affairs has been working with Childcare Committees Ireland to help services prepare for the full implementation of the Child Care Act 1991 (Early Years Services) Regulations 2016.

These regulations have been in development for several years and implementation was delayed until 31st December 2016 to give providers time to address any issues directly related to the impact of the regulations, in particular the provision whereby Community Employment workers without FETAC Level 5 qualifications in childcare are no longer counted towards staff: child ratios in services.

The Department also provided a series of learner fund programmes to enable childcare workers attain level 5 - and later level 6- FETAC qualifications in childcare.

Nevertheless, acknowledging that a small minority of services had come to rely on CE Scheme workers as a core part of their business model, I have committed to providing funding to enable these services to recruit additional staff to meet their obligations under the regulations.

I am currently finalising a package of support for services who have engaged with Childcare Committees Ireland and I will make this funding available shortly.

Under the ECCE programme children are eligible to start free pre-school once they have turned 3 (and were not more than 4 years and 8 months), and can continue in free pre-school until they start primary school (once the child is not older than 5 years and 6 months at the end of the relevant pre-school year i.e. end June). The Community Childcare programme is available for children from 0-15 years old, providing childcare at reduced rates to disadvantaged and low income working parents. Parents qualify as disadvantaged or low income on the basis of means-tested entitlements.