Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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601. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she has examined the data protection issues which could potentially arise from requiring ECCE providers to administer aspects of the various State schemes, such as the financial data of parents; if she has satisfied herself that no issues arise; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50540/17]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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Work is currently underway to introduce a new Affordable Childcare Scheme (ACS) which will provide financial support for parents towards the cost of childcare. The new scheme will provide a system from which both universal and targeted subsidies can be provided towards the cost of childcare. ACS will replace the existing targeted childcare programmes with a single, streamlined and more user-friendly scheme and is intended to provide “wraparound‟ care for pre-school and school-age children.

Where parents wish to avail of supports they will apply directly to the scheme administrator. In order to make the application process as easy as possible for parents, it is intended that the means-testing will, in most cases, be carried out through an automatic link with income data held by the Revenue Commissioners and by the Department of Social Protection. This means that childcare providers will not be required collect PPS numbers or financial data from parents when registering children on to the Affordable Childcare System.

The use of the PPS number and data sharing across relevant public bodies and agencies will be enabled and supported through legislation and formal data sharing agreements.

The primary legislation will take account of all necessary amendments to existing legislation, including any changes which may be required to the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2015. Consultations will take place with all relevant parties, as deemed necessary throughout the legislative development process.