Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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1945. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs when the affordable childcare scheme will be implemented; the reason for the delay; if registered child minders can be paid retrospectively in view of the fact that they have been carrying out best practice for some time and will be doing the work which they will ultimately be paid for under the scheme when it comes into being; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28545/17]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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The Affordable Childcare Scheme (ACS) has been designed to facilitate the inclusion of childminders. However, it is essential that public subsidies are only provided to childcare providers where there is a sufficient level of assurance of the quality of provision. For this reason, the ACS, once underway, will be delivered through Tusla-registered childcare providers, both centre-based providers and childminders.

I do not want to delay the benefit of higher childcare subsidies for low-income families. For that reason, I recently announced that a number of changes will be made to existing childcare schemes that will bring substantial benefits to tens of thousands of children and their families from this September. These changes will include a new universal subsidy for children aged from 6 months up to 36 months old (or commencement of the free pre-school programme) and significant increases of up to 50 per cent in targeted childcare subvention rates provided under the Community Childcare Subvention (CCS) Scheme for children aged from 6 months up to 15 years old. For example, parents availing of full-time childcare who currently have their childcare costs subsidised by €95 per week under the CCS Scheme – which is the largest of the targeted childcare schemes – will see their subvention rate rise to €145 per week from this September.

These childcare supports will become available to families from this September through childcare services contracted through my Department. It is not envisaged that any payment will be made retrospectively, however a non-contact payment in recognition of administration associated with the new measures will be paid this year to all childcare providers who sign up to deliver these childcare supports on behalf of my Department.

The policy paper for the introduction of the ACS was approved by Government in October 2016. Since then, officials of my Department and Pobal have been working intensively to plan for the implementation of this Scheme. This is an extremely complex and ambitious project because of all that is involved – legislation, new business processes, data protection and building a new IT system. We will need to integrate data from the Department of Social Protection and the Office of the Revenue Commissioners so that the system can calculate every family’s net income and Affordable Childcare Scheme subsidy. We will need to test the IT system rigorously to make sure it works, even in complicated family circumstances.

While my officials are working as quickly as possible, I believe it is prudent to take the time to ensure we get the new systems right, so that they operate smoothly for everyone. The ACS will be introduced at the earliest possible date, while ensuring that the scheme is fully operational and user-friendly for all concerned. In the meantime, I am satisfied that the new measures commencing this September honour the Government’s commitment to delivering more affordable childcare to families.