Vol. 505 No. 5
56 Ms O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health and Children if he will report on the day nursery services funded by his Department; the number of children catered for in this service; the annual cost of the service; the waiting lists for these nurseries; the plans, if any, he has to extend this service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14076/99]
Health boards provide financial supports to certain pre-school services which cater for children who are regarded as being at-risk or disadvantaged. This function is in keeping with the boards overall responsibilities under the Child Care Act, 1991 in regard to the promotion of the welfare of children and provision of family support services. Funding of approximately £3.26 million is being provided by the health boards towards the service in 1999. The number of places currently funded is 7,000 approximately.
The Deputy will be aware that the Partnership 2000 Expert Working Group on Child Care under the auspices of the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, examined the provision of a co-ordinated national framework for the development of a child care infrastructure including the financing and resourcing implications of its implementation. The report of the group was launched on 3 February 1999. The Government has since established an interdepartmental committee on child care chaired by the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform to evaluate, cost and prioritise the proposals in the report and the child care proposals in An Action Programme for the Millennium, the report of the Commission on the Family and the report of the Forum on Early Childhood Education. This committee has been asked to report within a time frame of six months.
