Written Answers. - Child Care Services.
Nora Owen
Question:
86
Mrs. Owen
asked the
Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform
if his attention has been drawn to the fact that 20 per cent of those interviewed by Northside Partnership refused to accept jobs due to child care issues; if he will confirm this information; the proposals, if any, he has to ensure that people can take up employment and receive assistance with child care; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[8354/99]
I am aware of the survey which was conducted with employers in the context of the Northside Partnership's Jobsmatch project.
Child care is without doubt one of the issues impacting on a parent's ability to avail of work, training and educational opportunities. As the Deputy may be aware, the Government decided on 2 February to establish an interdepartmental committee on child care to evaluate, cost and prioritise proposals for the development of child care which are set out in recent reports on the matter.
The committee is chaired by my Department and comprises representatives, at senior level, of the relevant Government Departments. It is required to report back to Government within a period of six months. The committee has already met on five occasions to date.
The Government announced new measures in December 1998 to support child care in the budget. The new measures provide for the introduction of a capital allowance for independent crèches and nurseries and employers or groups of employers in relation to capital expenditure incurred on the construction, extension or refurbishment of a building or part of a building used as a child care facility. They also provide exemption from benefit in kind taxation for certain child care facilities provided by employers to employees on a free or subsidised basis.
My Department also provides funding for the development of child care facilities through the Equal Opportunities Child Care Programme which is designed to support local communities and employers who are trying to facilitate women and men who have child care responsibilities while accessing training, education and employment. It is targeted particularly at parents in disadvantaged areas and those on low pay who cannot access training, education and employment opportunities due to the lack of affordable good quality child care. The Equal Opportunities Child Care Programme is administered by Area Development Management Limited, ADM, on behalf of my Department. Funding is being provided under the following three initiatives: capital infrastructure – 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; community support projects – this fund is being used to provide support to meet the expenditure required for two full-time senior child care workers in community child care projects with a focus on equal opportunities and disadvantage; employer demonstration initiative – this is being developed in partnership with IBEC to stimulate employer interest and involvement in supporting equal opportunity child care facilities.
Some additional EU funding was made available last week to my Department for the Equal Opportunities Child Care Programme. This additional funding will be used to provide enhanced training for the community support projects referred to above, for expanding the services of the national voluntary child care organisations and for research into family-friendly policies.
