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Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 4 Jul 1995

Vol. 455 No. 4

Written Answers. - Child Care Facilities.

Ivor Callely

Question:

28 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for Equality and Law Reform the outstanding recommendations of the working group on child care facilities for working parents; if he supports these recommendations; if he will agree a time schedule for their implementation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12275/95]

As I indicated in my reply to an earlier question from Deputy Kenneally, primary responsibility for the regulation of child care resides with my collegue the Minister for Health under the Child Care Act, 1991 and a statutory system of supervision and inspection by health boards of pre-school services catering for children under six years of age will be implemented in 1996. This accords with two of the group's recommendations.

My principal function in the area of child care facilities is the encouragement of the provision of child care services in the interests of enabling job seeking parents gain access to employment opportunities which might otherwise be denied to them and as a support to working parents in employment. As I stated previously to the Deputy on 30 May 1995, the primary attention of my Department in the child care area has been directed towards ensuring the inclusion of a child care element in the National Development Plan and the introduction of an initiative taken to develop pilot child care projects in disadvantaged areas. Funding of £1 million has been approved for such projects this year.
In initially focusing its attention on these matters, my Department was seeking to prime-start a number of activities recommended by the working group for implementation. In particular the child care pilot projects support local child care initiatives by employers, public authorities and voluntary organisations and will increase the availability of child care places in areas of social disadvantage. County enterprise boards which operate under the aegis of the Department of Enterprise and Employment are also aware of my Department's pilot programme which can grand-aid certain child care start-up costs promoted in conjunction with these bodies.
In consultation with the Minister for Enterprise and Employment I have sought to ensure a specific share of resources for child care under the Community Support Framework funding under the human resources operative programme. In all, a total of £7.7 million of this programme has been directed to equal opportunities matters by FÁS and this will include child care measures.
I understand that FÁS proposes to further develop its child care training activities to meet an increased demand for child care workers, to provide higher level skills training in child care services and to provide training for existing child care workers to upgrade their skills. Where projects have been funded under my Department's pilot child care initiative, FÁS will support them through providing or facilitating the provision of child care training for existing or new child care workers as well as through additional supports by way of community employment and community training measures to assist with construction and renovation of buildings. Also in accordance with the working group's recommendations, the job potential of child care is currently being examined by the Central Review Committee of theProgramme for Competitiveness and Work. The National Economic and Social Forum has also examined this issue recently.
The social partners have been made aware of the benefits of the availability of child care facilities. The inclusion of a provision for such facilities, beyond workplace nurseries, in future collective agreements, as recommended by the working group, is a matter for negotiation by the parties concluding such agreements.
The question of making mandatory the inclusion in planning permission requests, of plans for child care facilities in shopping and housing developments is a matter for the individual planning authorities, but the Department of the Environment has advised local authorities that official development plans may incorporate such a stipulation.
The report of the working group on child care facilities for working parents contains a wide-ranging series of recommendations addressed to many different bodies in society. Since its establishment, my Department has taken a proactive role in promoting the development of child care services. A major impetus has been achieved and I will ensure that every possible effort is made to maintain that momentum.
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