Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 1 Feb 2000

Vol. 513 No. 3

Written Answers. - National Childcare Committee.

Deirdre Clune

Question:

269 Ms Clune asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he will provide details of the National Childcare Committee, its membership and its terms of reference; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2635/00]

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

My Department has been given a lead role in the co-ordination and delivery of child care under the National Development Plan, 2000-2006. The National Co-ordinating Childcare committee was established on 17 December 1999 as part of a three-tiered co-ordinating process designed to oversee child care policy and funding. The other structures are: an interdepartmental committee on child care; county child care committees.

The role of the National Co-ordinating Childcare committee, which is chaired by my Department, is to oversee the development of a child care infrastructure in an integrated manner throughout the country, act as a link to county child care committees and co-ordinate the delivery of child care funding under the national development plan. The National Co-ordinating Childcare Committee has already held two meetings. This committee's membership comprises as follows:

Chair	Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform
Vice Chair	Department of Health and Children
1 member	Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform
1 member	Department of Education and Science
1 member	Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs
3 members	State Agencies – Health Boards, FÁS, Local Authorities
1 member	Each of the two Regional Assemblies
4 members	Social Partners – ICTU, IBEC, community and farming pillars
6 members	National Voluntary Childcare bodies – Irish Pre-school Playgroups Association (IPPA), Barnados, National Children's Nurseries Association (NCNA), National Child Minding Association of Ireland (NCMAI), An Comh-choiste Réamhscolaíochta, St. Nicholas Montessori Society of Ireland
1 member	National Women's Council of Ireland
1 member	Dublin Institute of Technology (Child care Training)
1 member	Representative of local childcare committees
1 member	ADM Ltd.

The main responsibilities and functions of the committee are: to advise in relation to the development of child care infrastructure; to advise in relation to child care under the national development plan, to develop a co-ordinated national approach to child care provision over the next seven years; to assist in the initiation and establishment of appropriate structures for the delivery of the child care measure; to submit reports to the interdepartmental committee on child care on child care under the national development plan; to oversee an application process for funding from the child care measure; to initiate research into child care provision at both national and local level; to work with county child care committees according as they are established; to develop national guidelines for operation of county child care committees; to evaluate local child care plans developed by the county child care committees.