Written Answers. - Child Care Services.
Dick Spring
Question:
68
Mr. Spring
asked the
Minister for Health and Children
the number of pre-school facilities which have been notified to each of the health boards to date; the number of inspections which have taken place in each area; the number of facilities which have subsequently closed due to failure to meet the guidelines; if he has any role in supporting the development of these services with financial assistance; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[14578/00]
The Child Care (Pre-School Services) Regulations, 1996, which give effect to the provisions of Part VII of the Child Care Act, 1991, provide for notification to and inspection by health boards of pre-school services. The regulations apply to pre-schools, playgroups, day nurseries, crèches, childminders looking after more than three children and other similar services which cater for children under six years of age.
The purpose of the Child Care (Pre-School Services) Regulations, 1996, is to build on the existing good standards in our pre-school services and gradually improve standards throughout the sector to secure the health, safety and welfare of pre-school children and to promote the development of children attending pre-school services.
Under the regulations, pre-school providers are obliged to notify their local health board that they are carrying on, or proposing to carry on, a pre-school service. On receipt of notification the health board will provide relevant information to the applicant and arrange for an inspection to be carried out by an authorised person. Details of facilities notified and inspections carried out based on the most up to date information available from the health boards are as follows:
|
Health Board
|
Number of facilities notified
|
Number of facilities inspected
|
|
Eastern Regional Health Authority
|
1,065
|
1,019
|
|
Midland Health Board
|
198
|
246
|
|
Mid-Western Health Board
|
328
|
364
|
|
North-Eastern Health Board
|
298
|
320
|
|
North-Western Health Board
|
204
|
246
|
|
South-Eastern Health Board
|
330
|
340
|
|
Southern Health Board
|
543
|
580
|
|
Western Health Board
|
333
|
346
|
|
Total
|
3,299
|
3,461
|
Notifications to the health boards are ongoing as new facilities come on stream. Inspections are ongoing also. The number of inspections carried out as shown above include first and second annual inspections.
Where deficiencies in services are identified during inspection, the health board and the providers work in a co-operative manner to make specific improvements in a planned way provided that any delay would not adversely affect the welfare of children. The plan may include a reduction in numbers achieved through natural reduction, that is, not replacing children who leave during the year, reducing numbers on a phased basis, reducing numbers at the beginning of the next school year or the provider moving to a larger premises. The timescale for making improvements varies from a requirement for immediate action to a phased implementation which may extend to six months, exceptionally, a longer period may be allowed.
Where serious breaches of the regulations concerning the health, safety and welfare of children are identified during inspection, health boards can bring the matter to the attention of the district court under Part VII of the Child Care Act, 1991. The Southern Health Board brought a prosecution against one provider who was obliged by the court to cease operating her service for a period of 60 days.
All health boards report that they are aware that a number of pre-school service providers have closed their service voluntarily either before or after inspection. The boards report that such closures occur for a range of reasons including providers being aware that they fall short of the standards required by the regulations, providers returning to other employment or study, a change in personal circumstances or retirement of providers.
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 the provision of family support services. Funding of approximately £3.9 million, capital and revenue, was provided by the health boards towards these services in 1999 and approximately 8,000 places were funded. An additional £1.75 million is being provided in 2000.
The Deputy will be aware that the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform was allocated £250 million to develop child care provision over the next seven years under the National Development Plan 2000-2006. This funding will facilitate the child care measures which were announced in budget 2000. The main objective of the new measures is to increase the number of child care facilities and child care places and also to improve the quality of services available. These measures comprise the equal opportunities child care programme which includes: grant supports to establish, renovate, and-or upgrade and staff community based not-for-profit childcare facilities and capital grants for self-employed private childcare providers to build, renovate or upgrade facilities catering for not more than 20 children at any one time. Applications have been invited by the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform for this grant scheme.
Funding will also be made available by the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform to develop local child care networks; to support national voluntary child care organisations which provide advice and support to child care service providers; to support innovative projects in the child care area and for initiatives to support the development of local child care training.
An additional £1.4 million has been made available to my Department this year to strengthen both the pre-school advisory and the inspection role of the health boards. This will facilitate health boards with the planned increase in the number of child care places.
In addition, it was announced in budget 2000 that accelerated capital allowances, at the rate of 100% in the first year, will apply in relation to expenditure incurred on and from 1 December 1999 on child care facilities which meet the required standards as provided under the Child Care (Pre-School Services) Regulations, 1996, the allowances are subject to clearance by the EU Commission.
