Vol. 520 No. 5
3 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Education and Science the plans he has to introduce a scheme under which schools throughout the country would be supported in making their premises available for child care provision outside school hours. [16208/00]
An amount of £5 million was provided in the 1999 budget to provide grants to schools that set up and run after school child care services. My Department is currently formulating details of a scheme for an after school support service in consultation with the Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs, which has also been allocated £5 million to support community based groups to develop after school child care services in disadvantaged areas.
It is envisaged that my Department's scheme will be confined to schools in disadvantaged areas. In the case of the primary sector, schools will be selected on the basis of criteria being developed by the Educational Research Centre for the new, more targeted child centred programme being introduced following a survey of all primary schools. Selection at second level would generally be based on retention levels and may be linked to the current stay-in-school retention initiative. The grant to each school would cover the cost of a co-ordinator and other personnel and would include other operating costs such as insurance, heating and lighting. It is envisaged that this scheme will be operational in the schools selected by September next.
My Department has also provided £2.3 million this year for child care to support access of participants to Youthreach, Traveller training centre programmes for early school leavers and the vocational training opportunities scheme for unemployed people. The funds are allocated to the vocational education committees for direct provision of crèches, the purchase of places on existing commercial or community crèches and for the payment of childminders, subject to compliance with tax and registration requirements under the Child Care Acts. The schemes will further enhance the package of initiatives introduced in December 1999 to combat educational disadvantage.
Precisely how many schools does the Minister propose will have child care facilities on an after hours basis? My rough calculation suggests 150 schools would be involved, although there are 4,000 schools in the country. Will he agree that a major untapped resource in schools could be made available after hours on a wide-ranging basis if insurance and other related costs were met? Will the Minister provide indemnity to every school which wishes to develop such a service on a franchise basis as a first step?
The number of schools will depend on what can also be done through the Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs.
Does the Minister have a ball-park figure?
It is envisaged that the scheme will be confined to primary level schools selected on the basis of the criteria being developed by the ERC for the new, more targeted child centred programme being introduced following a survey of all primary schools. Regarding second level schools, it will operate on the basis of retention levels. A total of 48 schools have been selected for the second level stay-in-school initiative and more will be selected shortly, bringing the total to over 100. I do not have a figure for the primary level, but, obviously, at least as many schools will be involved. I agree with the Deputy about the importance of this area. We must find the right method of implementing it. The community and local bodies must be involved. A comprehensive package is required.
Will the Minister lift the effective embargo on schools? If he gave a commitment to meet the cost of insurance and other items so that every school would have the option of franchising these services from the community, there could be locally based solutions to this problem. The Minister does not have to take a bottom up approach. Does he agree that a system where the Department picks up those costs is the way to proceed?
This package involves the appointment of co-ordinators and assistants and the involvement of voluntary workers, etc. However, I will consider the Deputy's suggestion to facilitate wider development. There is a need to build a model and to develop and extend it.
They are not mutually exclusive.
There is no reason not to encourage other developments at the same time.
I welcome that.
