Kathleen Funchion (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein)
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799. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs further to Parliamentary Question No. 839 of 7 March 2017, the estimated cost for the number of children anticipated to avail of targeted subsidies in the ACS scheme in year one. [17598/17]

Kathleen Funchion (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein)
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800. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs further to Parliamentary Question No. 840 of 7 March 2017, the estimated cost for the number of children anticipated to avail of the universal subsidy in the ACS in year one. [17599/17]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 799 and 800 together.

Budget 2017 provided an additional €19m to enable the introduction of a new single Affordable Childcare Scheme. This is in addition to the existing funding which supports the current targeted schemes and which equates to €87m annually. The full year costs of the scheme will be approximately €150m.

The Budget 2017 allocation provided for both development costs for the introduction of a new IT system and operational costs for the new scheme. It was estimated that in year one approximately 87% of operational costs would relate to the targeted element of the scheme and 13% to the universal element.

At the meeting of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs on 8 February 2017, I stated that we will not have an automated system ready for September, and that I would communicate further details on timelines as soon as possible. I intend to announce details shortly.