Written Answers. - Child Care Services.
Róisín Shortall
Question:
50
Ms Shortall
asked the
Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform
the role of his Department in the provision of child care services to facilitate equal access to employment for parents of young children; the financial support, if any, provided by his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[15445/98]
Jim O'Keeffe
Question:
166
Mr. J. O'Keeffe
asked the
Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform
his views on whether there is a gap in policy in relation to support for the care of young children who are not yet attending school; his views on State investment in the care of children in the years before entry into primary school; and his views on the recommendations of the Commission on the Family in this regard.
[14579/98]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 50 and 166 together.
Under Partnership 2000, the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform has been given a lead role in the development of a framework for child care as an equal opportunity measure. The Government recognises the need to bring about a cohesion in this area of child care and the key role other Government Departments have to play in achieving this cohesion. Involvement of other groups and organisations such as social partners, NGOs, community groups, local authorities, health boards, area partnership boards, etc. is essential in order to develop a comprehensive and affordable child care infrastructure.
I am acutely aware of the importance of child care as an equal opportunities issue which is central to the overall social and economic development of Irish society in general. The Government recognises that the needs and rights of children must be considered in the context of the development of a national framework and that we must ensure the best interests of children in that development.
My colleague, the Minister for Education and Science, has established a national forum on early childhood education. The work of the forum focuses on education services for children under six and on policy in early education. This work dovetails with the work of the expert working group which was established under Partnership 2000. This group is chaired by my Department and charged with developing a national child care framework. Discussions have taken place with a view to arranging inputs between the forum and the expert working group. The expert working group on child care has a subgroup which focuses on strategies on early childhood education and has made a submission to the national education forum.
Part of my remit as Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform is to develop policies and schemes to assist parents in reconciling work and family responsibilities. In this regard a sum of £2,615,000 is being provided by my Department for child care in 1998. This represents an increase of over £1.7 million on the figure for 1997. The additional moneys will build on the Government's equal opportunities child care programme as a measure to assist women and men in disadvantaged areas to avail of work, training and education opportunities. The moneys will also assist equal opportunity child care measures in non-disadvantaged areas.
My Department has been working in partnership with Area Development Management Limited, ADM, to deliver the programme. ADM is an intermediary company established by the Irish Government and the European Union to support social and economic development in 38 local area based partnerships and 33 community areas throughout Ireland. Through ADM's work with my Department, the area partnership boards have begun to advance child care as an equal opportunity measure in their areas and many of the partnerships have given "added-value" to the Department's child care programme.
The equal opportunity child care programme will have four distinct elements: money is being targeted at community child care projects to enable them to upgrade-enhance their facilities or establish new purpose built facilities for women and men who need child care while they are at work or availing of training.
Core funding will be used to provide support to meet the expenditure required for full-time senior child care workers in up to 25 community child care projects with a focus on equal opportunities and disadvantage.
The employer demonstration child care initiative is being developed in partnership with IBEC to stimulate employer interest and involvement in supporting equal opportunity child care facilities. The purpose of this initiative will be to look at employer child care support from two distinct perspectives: how support for child care might alleviate difficulties associated with the growing skills shortage being experienced by some companies; and how support for child care might assist in the implementation of an overall strategy to improve and enhance equal opportunities in the workforce.
The expert working group on child care was established in July 1997 to develop a national child care framework under Partnership 2000. It will report to the Government in December. The members of the group are considering a range of child care issues, including the financial and employment implications of an integrated approach to the development of child care and are committed to a policy of equality of access and participation.
It will also be considering the resourcing and sustaining of child care within rural and urban disadvantaged areas, while exploring practical solutions to overcoming identified barriers.
The equal opportunity child care programme was designed for inclusion in the national employment action plan which Ireland submitted to the EU in Brussels in April 1998. Following the Luxembourg Employment Summit at which equal opportunities was acknowledged as one of the four pillars of the EU, employment strategy guidelines were agreed by Heads of Government, and member states undertook to take steps to increase the level of good quality child care in order to support women's and men's entry and continued participation in the labour market.
The equal opportunity child care programme will be the first of a number of supports planned by the Government to enable women and men with children to have access to training and employment opportunities. The strategy we are developing is an initiative of major national significance in the move toward achieving equal opportunities in Ireland. I have succeeded in getting child care included as an equal opportunity measure in the mid-term review of the Community Support Framework.
The report of the Commission on the Family has yet to be published in final form. It will then be considered, in the first instance, by my colleague, the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs. It would be preferable not to make any comments on the report at this stage until the final version is to hand.
