asked the Minister for Health the number of day care places provided for children (a) under school age, part-time and full-time; and (b) of school age, after school hours; the agency responsible; and the amount of public money provided.
Written Answers. - Day Care Services.
485.
My Department have lead responsibility for day care services for young children. In general the policy is to assist the development and operation of those centres which are aimed mainly at assisting families from deprived areas. Funds for this purpose are channelled through the health boards who do not involve themselves in the provision of the services, but who financially assist, sometimes up to 70 per cent of operating costs, and encourage voluntary effort to establish and manage the centres. Therefore, the agencies responsible for them are the various local management committees and voluntary organisations running them. Bord na Gaeilge and Údarás also grant-aid the development of pre-school play groups through the medium of Irish. The latest statistics available on day care centres in receipt of grant-aid relate to the year ending 31 December 1983 and are set out below in the form of a tabular statement:
|
Funding Authority |
No. of centres |
Part-time |
Full-time |
No. of children catered for |
Total grant aid |
|
£m |
|||||
|
Health Boards |
222 |
184 |
38 |
6,000 |
1.0 |
|
Bord na Gaeilge and |
128 |
128 |
— |
1,500 |
0.089 |
|
Údarás na Gaeltachta |
|||||
|
Total |
350 |
312 |
38 |
7,500 |
1.089 |
We have no breakdown on the age of children attending these centres but the vast majority cater for children between the ages of two and six.
There are of course a large number of centres funded completely from private sources. According to the information available to this Department it is estimated that there are some 1,000 of these centres catering for approximately 12,000 children.
486.
asked the Minister for Health if he will indicate whether he has sought the closure of any day care centres for children on the grounds of inadequate supervision and quality of care; and the general powers that he has in this regard.
At the moment I have no statutory authority to close down any day care centre on these grounds. However, the new Children Bill will provide for the regulation and control of all day care services, including those wholly funded from private sources, to ensure that they are properly conducted and are caring for children in a safe and suitable environment. I have set up a special working party to examine the minimum legal requirements and standards to apply to these centres and I am currently awaiting their report.