Child Care Services.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 27 May 2004

Thursday, 27 May 2004

Questions (219)

Róisín Shortall

Question:

219 Ms Shortall asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if her attention has been drawn to the fact that Our Lady’s Nursery, Ballymun, is threatened with closure as a result of her failure to rescind her decision on crèche allowances for parents of participating children and the failure of the Northern Area Health Board to provide substitute funding; her plans with regard to preventing the closure of the nursery; if she will immediately reinstate this crèche allowance in view of the unnecessary hardship it has caused and the similar difficulties posed to 19 other nurseries; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16108/04]

Written answers

Minister for Social and Family Affairs (Mary Coughlan)

The Northern Area Health Board confirmed that the crèches in question will not close as a result of the decision to discontinue, with effect from 1 January 2004, payment of crèche supplements under the terms of the supplementary welfare allowance scheme.

As the Deputy is aware the bulk of the funding for the crèches in question comes from the health board. The board agreed to examine the financial support it provides to these crèches and this matter is currently under consideration. In the meantime, as an exceptional measure, health boards may continue to pay existing crèche supplements while arrangements for alternative funding are being finalised.