Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 30 May 1995

Vol. 453 No. 6

Written Answers. - Child Care Facilities.

Michael Woods

Question:

20 Dr. Woods asked the Minister for Equality and Law Reform the initiatives, if any, that have been taken and the encouragement that has been given to employers to provide child care facilities for working parents following the recommendations of the working group whose report was published by him in March 1994. [9725/95]

Ivor Callely

Question:

61 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for Equality and Law Reform the progress, if any, that has been made on the recommendations by the working group on child care facilities for working parents; the recommendations, if any, that have been adopted and put in place by Government State or semi-State organisations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9853/95]

Minister for Equality and Law Reform (Mr. Taylor)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 20 and 61 together.

The Government is conscious of the need for child care facilities for parents with family responsibilities to enable them participate in the employment market and is committed to the stimulation of the development of such facilities by employers, parents and community interests.

Responsibility for the various aspects of child care resides with a number of Ministers. However I am happy to report progress consequent on the publication of the working group's report.

Arising from the publication of the report my Department undertook interdepartmental consultations with all Government Departments responsible for particular policies and action areas covered by the recommendations in the report. In particular, in view of the timescale imposed by the Community Support Framework these contacts targeted the need for the development of actions to be taken under the National Development Plan. In addition, early action was taken to get child care projects up and running.

Last year I set up a scheme of funding in my Department to assist in the development of a number of pilot child care projects in disadvantaged areas. Under this pilot scheme grant assistance is provided for new and innovative child care projects with strong local participation and in particular for partnerships between employers and community groups. An allocation of £1 million of Exchequer funds has been approved by my Department to date for a total of 75 projects under this scheme. This initiative will enable those with family responsibilities to undertake education, training, retraining and employment opportunities which they would otherwise be unable to aspire to in the absence of a child care facility.

In addition, my colleague the Minister for Education, has recently introduced the Early Start Pre-school Project for children in eight locations. The project is aimed at enhancing the overall development of pre-school children so as to prevent school failure and offset the effects of social disadvantage.

In line with the National Development Plan, I have been concerned to ensure, in conjunction with my colleague the Minister for Enterprise and Employment, that training and employment programmes run under the Community Support Framework receive significant assistance towards the development of child care facilities. Under the operational programme for human resources development 1994-99, An Foras Áiseanna Saothair, FÁS, has made considerable provision for the training and development of child care practitioners. A sum of £1.264 million has been allocated to child care training, including training for the development of managers of child care facilities; a further £200,000 is allocated under the management training for women programme to upgrade child care workers in the management of child care facilities.

In order to encourage flexible working arrangements for public sector employees with family responsibilities, and in accordance with the undertaking in theProgramme for Competitiveness and Work, my Department wrote to all public sector employers requesting them to introduce progressive policies of equal opportunities to ensure that the existing pattern of inequality within the public sector is effectively redressed. The Programme for Competitiveness and Work also highlights the question of job potential of child care services and this matter is currently being examined by the Central Review Committee of the Programme for Competitiveness and Work. In addition, the NESF recently reported on the job potential of the services sector in Ireland. In the context of this report the forum made a number of recommendations on the provision of child care services. These recommendations broadly mirror those included in the report of the working group on childcare facilities for working parents.

The question of the stutory regulation of minimum standards of child care and the supervision and inspection of such facilities is a matter for my colleague the Minister for Health. Part VII of the Child Care Act, 1991 provides for the regulation and supervision of such services and this Government is committed to the implementation of the Act not later than 1996.

I am continuing to review developments in this area so that progress can be made on other appropriate aspects of the working group's report and the relevantProgramme for Competitiveness and Work commitments concerned. Given the partnership approach envisaged by both the working group and in the Programme for Competitiveness and Work, the further progress required will continue to depend on effective social partner participation with community and State sector interests.