Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
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317. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her plans to extend the childcare law reporting project beyond its finishing date; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12594/19]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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As the Deputy will know, the work of the Child Care Law Reporting Project (CCLRP) over the last number of years has been invaluable in the provision of empirical evidence regarding the many factors in play in child care proceedings before our courts system. I am pleased to be able to confirm that the CCLRP was in 2018 awarded additional grant funding by my Department to enable it to carry out a further project of research into child care proceeding, which will continue until 2021. This award was made following a competitive process.

As this three-year project is still in its opening phases, I have not yet given consideration to any possible extensions beyond the 2021 finishing date set out in the grant agreement.