Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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263. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of persons that will be availing of the targeted level of subsidy under the single affordable child care scheme; and the number of persons that will avail of the universal level of subsidy. [22429/17]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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It is estimated that in the first year of operation of the Single Affordable Childcare Scheme the total number of children availing of subsidies under the scheme will be up to 79,000, of which up to 54,000 will benefit from targeted subsidies and approximately 25,000 will benefit from the universal level of subsidy under the scheme. As many families have more than one child in childcare, the number of families benefiting from the scheme is expected to be less.

It is expected that over time the number of beneficiaries is likely to rise further, as the labour market response and changes in parental choices in response to the rise in childcare subsidies will take time to have their full effect.

It must be stressed that these figures are estimates. The take-up of childcare subsidies depends not just on eligibility, but on parental demand for childcare, and on the availability of childcare places in local childcare facilities that are taking part in the scheme.

As the policy paper on the Single Affordable Childcare Scheme makes clear (p.66) “We do not know how great the increase in demand will be, and the research evidence does not offer a clear guide. International research in relation to the impact of childcare reforms on the demand for childcare indicates considerable variation between countries, which reflects variation in labour market conditions, in the degree of targeting of reforms and in parental preferences between different types of childcare, and there is no Irish research on the question."