Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 13 Apr 2000

Vol. 518 No. 2

Written Answers. - Child Care Services.

Róisín Shortall

Question:

39 Ms Shortall asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform his views in relation to the place of parents in his child care strategy; if it is his intention to provide support by way of parental payments to enable parents to take time off work to care for their children, as is common practice in most other EU states; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11204/00]

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

My Department chaired the Partnership 2000 expert working group on child-care which developed a national child care strategy for the development of the child care sector to meet the needs of society in general. The membership of the group included representatives of parents. The group made a series of recommendations in relation to the development of quality child care services to meet the increasing demand by parents for child care places.

As the Deputy will be aware my Department has responsibility for funding the development of child care services and co-ordinating child care service delivery under the national development plan. The roles stem from my Department's responsibility for equality issues.

Since 1994 my Department has provided supports to develop child care services. The supports have mainly been concentrated in disadvantaged areas facilitating the development of facilities which could provide affordable services for low income families. My Department developed the equal opportunities child-care programme in 1998 which provides funding under a broad range of initiatives from a social inclusion and equal opportunities perspective. Over 1998 and 1999, £11 million of Exchequer and EU funding has been committed to projects under the programme.

The Government identified child care as a priority area for investment in the National Development Plan, 2000-06 which provides £250 million to my Department's equal opportunities child-care programme. The money will be invested in a range of initiatives designed to increase the quantity of child care places and the quality of child care services to meet the needs and interests of both children and parents. It is my intention to advertise measures for capital and staffing grants for child care services in the national and local newspapers at the end of this month. My Department will also be working closely with other Government Departments which have funding for child care to ensure a co-ordinated approach.

My Department is also responsible for co-ordinating child care service delivery over the course of the national development plan. This involves the establishment of national and local structures to include the key players in the future development of child care. The structures include: an interdepartmental committee which is chaired by my Department to focus on co-operation and co-ordination between Departments and State agen cies with a role in child care; a national co-ordinating child care committee chaired by my Department to oversee the development of an integrated child care infrastructure throughout the country; county child care committees to advance child care service provision at local levels. Membership will comprise local representatives of the statutory and non-statutory sectors, including parents.

The structures provide a forum for consultation and sharing of expertise and information on development relevant to the future of the child care sector and the child care needs of parents.

My Department's co-ordinating role is a subset of the broader national children's strategy which is currently being developed by the Department of Health and Children in line with the commitments entered into by Ireland when it ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. My Department is working closely with the Department of Health and Children for the planning and delivery mechanisms required for the expenditure of £250 million in the national development plan. A Department of Health and Children official is the vice-chair of the co-ordinating committees chaired by my Department.

As the Deputy will be aware the issue of child care will also be dealt with within the completion process outlined in the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness. It is intended that the process will be progressed rapidly.

In addition the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness provides that my Department will, in 2001, conduct a review of the operation of the Parental Leave Act, 1998, in consultation with the social partners. This commitment is in accordance with section 28 of the Act, which provides for a review of the operation of the Act within not less than two years and not more than three years of its commencement on 3 December 1998. This review, which will be carried out during 2001, will provide an opportunity to assess provisions of the Act in the light of its operation.