Vol. 515 No. 6
4 Ms Shortall asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he will give details on the proposed spend of the £250 million child care package in the national development plan; his strategy in relation to child care; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6822/00]
I advise the Deputy that the £250 million investment in the development of child care service provision will be spread over the course of the National Development Plan, 2000-06. The funding will be invested in a range of initiatives under the Equal Opportunities Child Care Programme aimed at increasing the quantity of child care places and improving the quality of child care services including capital grants to non-profit organisations and community groups to establish, upgrade or enhance child care facilities; staffing grants to non-profit organisations and community groups for child care personnel; capital grants for self-employed child care service providers catering for up to 20 child care places; supports for training initiatives; grants to enhance the services of the National Voluntary Child Care Organisations and grants towards the development of local child care networks.
My Department is currently finalising the qualifying criteria for the capital and staffing grants. It is intended to promote these measures in the coming weeks in the national and local newspapers. Information guidelines and application forms will be available to coincide with the advertising campaign. The other funding initiatives will be promoted later in the year. It is intended that the application process will operate on an open-ended basis. My Department will also take the lead role in the co-ordination of child care across relevant Departments and agencies over the course of the National Development Plan. Structures are being established at national and local levels in this regard including: an interdepartmental "synergies" committee which is chaired by my Department to focus on co-operation and co-ordination between Government Departments and State agencies with a role in child care; a national co-ordinating child care committee, also chaired by my Department, to oversee the development of a child care infrastructure in an integrated manner throughout the country. Membership comprises representatives of the statutory and non-statutory sectors, including the social partners and the regional assemblies. The committee has met on three occasions to date. There will be county child care committees to advance child care service provision at local levels. Membership will comprise local representatives of the statutory and non-statutory sector, including providers and parents.
My Department also availed of funding last year to develop a national child care census and database. The census will provide information on child populations and the level of group based child care service provision on a county by county basis. Reports on each county will be finalised in the coming months and weeks and these will provide vital information to inform future policy development. In recognition of the important role played by the national voluntary child care organisations, funding was made available in 1999 for Barnardos, National Children's Nurseries Association, Childminding Ireland (formerly National Childminding Association of Ireland), Irish Pre-schools and Playgroups Association, St. Nicholas Montessori Society of Ireland and An Comhchoiste Reamhscolaíochta Teoranta. It is intended that support for and involvement of the national voluntary child care organisations in developing child care infrastructure and policy will continue throughout the period of the national development plan.
The funding supports, in particular the structures established to co-ordinate child care service delivery, will help us to achieve a more effective and informed approach to future child care planning.
I found it very hard to follow what the Minister was saying. I could not hear much of it. Would the Minister tell us, in a couple of sentences, his child care strategy and what he is trying to achieve?
My obvious objective is to increase the supply of child care across the country. We are a long way behind other developed jurisdictions regarding child care and we have much catching up to do. That is why we have obtained £250 million under the national development plan between now and 2006 to provide grants to enable more places to be made available and, of course, to train and provide staff.
Would the Minister tell us if he sees parents having a role in the context of a strategy on child care, or will he concentrate only on paid child care outside the home? The Minister must accept that in the case of most families the first option is that one or other parent looks after their own children during the early years. Would the Minister accept that funding should be provided to allow parents that choice? It is very often the first choice if financial circumstances permit. Would he agree with spending some of the funding on supporting parents who look after their own children, as happens in most other European countries, in terms of paid parental leave and other types of extended leave? I would like to hear the Minister's views on that.
As Deputy Shortall is aware, the House passed the Parental Leave Act, 1998. It did not provide for paid leave but for unpaid leave. The whole question of parents' involvement is something to which I have given consideration. Deputy Shortall will agree there is no point in speaking about parents having any involvement unless the places are available and the first objective must be to make sure there is a sufficiency of places available. That is the first objective.
What about places in the home?
With regard to parental involvement subsequently, there will be county child care committees under the structure we will set up. I envisage parents having a role in these child care committees. Grants will be available for non-profit making organisations to provide places and I will shortly advertise for people who will be self-employed and cater for 20 children or less to enable them to apply for grants. Deputy Shortall seems to be interested in what happens in the home itself and she seems to be suggesting that there should be a payment made to parents living in the home for minding children at home.
Paid parental leave.
Currently there are no proposals before the Government for paid parental leave. That option is not being considered. The Deputy will be aware that there was a significant increase in child benefit.
It is disappointing that the Minister does not see the parents having a role in that. Does he have any idea of the number of places?
We must move on to Question No. 5.
