Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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54. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the date by which she hopes to enact legislation on the single affordable childcare scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31217/17]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 54 and 551 together.

The Heads of Bill and General Scheme for the Affordable Childcare Scheme Bill were approved by Government on 24 January 2017 and were examined by the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs on 8 February 2017 before being transmitted to the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel (OPC).

Since that time, officials at my Department have worked closely and intensively with the drafter assigned to this legislation. The ACS is a complex scheme that includes both universal and targeted supports, as well as additional supports for vulnerable children, which will involve Tusla and other Government Departments and Agencies in application procedures. While much progress has been made, including submission of a number of requests for legal advice, further work is necessary before the Bill can be finalised and therefore it is unlikely that the ACS Bill will be published before mid-July.

In the meantime, to ensure delivery of the Government’s commitment to provide more affordable childcare to the families of tens of thousands of children from this September, my Department has put in place a series of measures; including both universal and targeted financial supports. These measures, available from September, will see families of all children under three, in Tusla-registered childcare, being able to access up to €1040 per year towards the cost of their childcare. Also, families on lower incomes or in training will be able to access as much as €145 per week towards the cost of their childcare.

Intensive work is also ongoing between my Department and Pobal on the IT system needed for the new scheme.