Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
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1114. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the progress to date regarding the introduction of a new system to support and expand quality after-school care for school aged children as set out in the programme for government; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46417/17]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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My Department introduced measures in September with the aim of making childcare, including after school care, more affordable for parents and guardians. Funding for the Community Childcare Subvention Scheme (CCS), the After-School Child Care Programme (ASCC) and the Community Employment Childcare After-school programme (CEC AS) has been increased under these new measures.

My Department published both the Action Plan on School Age Childcare and the Report of Consultations with Children on After-School Care in March 2017. The Action Plan focuses specifically on school age childcare, and recognises the unique needs of this group. The Plan sets out the infrastructure my Department and others will put in place, over the next two or three years, that can be built on over the following years. The infrastructure will assist in opening up accessible, high quality, affordable school age more widely.

I have also established an expert working group to develop a comprehensive set of quality standards for School Age Childcare. The work of this expert group in ongoing.

In 2017 a Capital Funding programme for School-Age Childcare, was administered by Pobal on behalf of my Department. This capital programme has resourced 488 projects to provide an additional 5,000 school-age childcare places. Under Budget 2018 further capital investment has been secured for the coming year.

Officials in my Department are currently working on the Affordable Childcare Scheme. Its introduction will provide for subsidisation of childcare for children of various ages.