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Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 30 Jan 2001

Vol. 529 No. 1

Written Answers. - Child Care Services.

Brian O'Shea

Question:

530 Mr. O'Shea asked the Minister for Health and Children the new measures he will introduce in 2001 to help with the cost of child care as suggested by persons (details supplied) in County Waterford; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1077/01]

My role and responsibility in this area relates to the imple mentation of the Child Care (Pre-School Services) Regulations, 1996, which give effect to the provisions of Part VII of the Child Care Act, 1991, and 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.

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.

In budget 2001, my colleague, Deputy McCreevy, the Minister for Finance, announced additional measures to increase the supply of child care places. Under these measures my Department is to receive £1.2 million to facilitate health boards in introducing a voluntary notification and support system that will be aimed at childminders looking after three or fewer children who are not covered by the notification and inspection requirements of the Child Care (Pre-School Services) Regulations, 1996.

In budget 2001, the Minister for Finance also announced measures to help parents with child care responsibilities. These include child benefit rates, which are payable by the Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs, being increased as follows:–

(i)by £25 per month for first and second children, from £42.50 to £67.50;

(ii)by £30 per month for third and subsequent children, from £56 to £86.

These increases are being paid from June 2001, or three months earlier than previously. Similar child benefit increases will be paid in both 2002 and 2003, bringing the rates to £117.50 and £146.00 respectively during 2003.

The Deputy will be aware that the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform is responsible for co-ordinating child care service delivery over the course of the National Development Plan 2000-2006 and his Department has been allocated £250 million for its equal opportunities child care programme to invest in the development of child care service provision. The objectives of the programme are to maintain and increase the number of child care facilities, increase the number of child care places and improve the quality of services available. Funding is being provided for the following initiatives: capital grants to establish, maintain, renovate, and /or upgrade and staff community based and not-for-profit child care facilities; capital grants for self-employed private child care providers to build, renovate or upgrade facilities catering for not more than 20 children at any one time; grants towards the development of local child care networks; grants to enhance the services of the national voluntary child care organisations; grants to encourage and promote local child care training models that assist in the enhancement of quality child care provision; and innovative projects identified over the course of the national development plan.
In October 2000, the Government allocated an additional £40 million to address gaps in existing schemes. This funding will allow for additional supports for community-based facilities, capital grants for private providers of more than 20 child care places, grants for schools to create after school programmes, funding for local authorities to develop child care facilities in conjunction with local authority housing, a national childminders initiative and the development of a specialist training model for child care workers.
In addition, accelerated capital allowances, at the rate of 100% in the first year, 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.
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