Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 27 May 1999

Vol. 505 No. 5

Written Answers. - Child Care.

Richard Bruton

Question:

128 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he has set a deadline for the report of the working group developing the recommendations from the partnership report on child care; the number of occasions this working group met; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14154/99]

Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform (Mr. O'Donoghue)

The Government established the interdepartmental committee on child care in February last. The committee has been tasked with evaluating, costing and prioritising the child care proposals not just in the expert working group on child care report, but also in the reports of the Commission on the Family and the National Forum for Early Childhood Education, in addition to the Government's own child care proposals in An Action Programme for the Millennium.

The second secretary at my Department chairs the committee which comprises representatives at senior level from 11 Government Departments. I understand that the committee has met on eight occasions to date. The terms of reference given to the committee require that it report back to Government within a period of six months.