Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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661. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of children that will be eligible to participate in the single affordable child care scheme in 2017. [24219/17]

Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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662. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of children that are already eligible for subsidised child care that will be eligible to participate in the single affordable child care scheme in 2017. [24220/17]

Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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663. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of children that are not currently eligible for subsidised child care that will be eligible for a universal subsidy under the single affordable child care scheme in 2017. [24221/17]

Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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664. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of children that are not currently eligible for subsidised child care that will be eligible for a targeted subsidy under the single affordable child care scheme in 2017. [24222/17]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 661 to 664, inclusive, together.

I like to thank Deputy Rabbitte for her questions. PQ Numbers: 24219/17, 24220/17, 24221/17 and 22422/17 are of a similar nature and so, for the Deputy’s ease of reference, I will answer them together.

As I have previously announced, the Affordable Childcare Scheme (ACS) will not be introduced in September 2017, but will be introduced at the earliest possible date.

However, I do not want to delay the benefit of higher childcare subsidies for families. I am pleased to confirm that major improvements in childcare subsidies will therefore come into effect this September, including increases of up to 50% in targeted childcare subsidy rates and a new universal childcare subsidy for children aged between 6 months and 36 months. September’s changes will be delivered through existing childcare schemes, pending the introduction of the ACS.

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 settings that are taking part in the relevant subsidy schemes. Estimates of the number of beneficiaries of childcare subsidies are estimates of take-up of the scheme. A level of uncertainty must therefore remain, as take-up will depend on choices to be made by parents and childcare providers over the coming months.

It is estimated that up to 70,000 children will benefit from childcare subsidies from this September, which would more than double the number of beneficiaries of existing schemes. Of these, approximately 30,000 children who will benefit are already benefitting from existing targeted childcare schemes (i.e. Community Childcare Subvention (CCS) and the Training and Employment Childcare (TEC) Schemes). In addition, it is estimated that 40,000 children may benefit from subsidies from this September who did not previously benefit from subsidies. Of this number, up to 33,000 children will benefit from the new universal subsidy that will be provided under the CCS Scheme, and there will up to 7,000 additional children benefitting from targeted subsidies provided under this Scheme.

An information campaign in the coming weeks will aim to maximise take-up through raising awareness among parents about eligibility.