Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 9 Oct 2001

Vol. 541 No. 4

Written Answers. - Child Care Services.

Emmet Stagg

Question:

169 Mr. Stagg asked the Minister for Education and Science the funding which he provides for child care for students availing of second-chance and adult education courses; and his views on the adequacy of this provision. [23013/01]

Minister for Education and Science (Dr. Woods)

A total of £2.46 million has been provided by my Department in 2001 for child care to support access by early school leavers and unemployed adults to the vocational training opportunities scheme, Youthreach, and senior Traveller training programmes. The measure was introduced in 1998.

A flexible approach has been adopted under which funds are allocated to vocational education committees for direct provision of crèche facilities, including staffing, overheads and refurbishment; purchase of places on existing crèches, with payment of up to £50 per child for full sessions, andpro rata adjustments for shorter sessions; and payment to child minders of up to £50 per week, subject to compliance with tax requirements, and registration as required under the Child Care Act.

The latest figures available show that 1,050 students on VTOS, Youthreach and senior Traveller training programmes, and 1,308 children are currently benefiting from this scheme. This child care funding is targeted at programmes for early school leavers and unemployed adults. Educational institutions can make applications for child care support in respect of other adult education and training programmes to the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, which provides crèches directly.

Feedback initially on the Department of Education and Science scheme has, in general, been very positive. The numbers availing of the programme have risen each year since the scheme's inception and better information regarding tax and welfare implications, together with increased provision of community-commercial crèches has improved the situation in relation to the availability of child care facilities.

The White Paper on Adult Education, Learning for Life, recognises that a national child care programme is an essential pre-requisite to the establishment of a comprehensive adult education programme nationally. Such a national child care infrastructure is now being developed to ensure wide availability of quality, affordable child care. In addition to the funding provided by my Department, as outlined above, the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform has been given responsibility for the co-ordination of the equal opportunities child care programme as part of the National Development Plan, NDP, 2000-2006. A sum of £250 million has been allocated to child care under the NDP, with an additional £94 million of Exchequer funding. The objectives of this strategy are to improve the quality of child care to increase the number of child care facilities and to introduce a co-ordinated approach to the delivery of child care service.