Éamon Ó Cuív
Question:95. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her plans for the community childcare subvention programme in 2013; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56707/12]
View answerTuesday, 18 December 2012
Questions (95)
Written answers
The Community Childcare Subvention (CCS) programme provides funding to community childcare not-for-profit services to enable them to charge reduced childcare rates to parents in receipt of social welfare payments or on low to middle incomes. Community childcare services qualify for grant aid on the basis of the level of service they provide and the profile of the parents benefiting from their service.
For the purpose of the CCS programme, eligibility is determined by reference to a range of means-tested allowances and payments including receipt of a social welfare payment, Family Income Supplement (FIS) and qualification for a medical or GP visit card. Eligibility for a GP visit card is based on net income and takes account of outgoings such as rent and mortgage repayments and other expenses including childcare costs and travelling expenses. As a result, low and middle income working parents may qualify for support. Parents who qualify for the top rate of subvention under the programme receive a subsidy of €95 per week towards full-day childcare costs.
My Department is also responsible for implementing the Childcare Education and Training Support (CETS) programme, which provides subsidised childcare qualifying parents on approved VEC and FÁS education and training courses. In 2013, my Department expects to spend almost €71 million on both the CCS and CETS programmes, supporting over 30,000 childcare places.
Despite the need to achieve expenditure savings across all Government departments, I am very pleased to note that funding for the CCS and CETS programmes in 2013 will be maintained at very close to 2012 levels. These programmes provide important supports to parents in employment, training and education, as well as supporting quality childcare provision. The Government's commitment in this regard is demonstrated by the fact that, a new After-School Childcare scheme will be introduced in early 2013.
The new After-School Childcare scheme is intended to support parents entering employment by providing over 6,000 quality after-school places for children attending primary school. The scheme will receive annual funding of €14 million and places are expected to become available on an interim basis from early 2013, with the full roll-out of the programme commencing in September 2013.
I would also note that my Department implements the universal free Pre-School Year in Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme, under which all children have equal access to free pre-school education in the year before commencing primary school. Some 65,000 children are currently availing of the ECCE programme at an annual cost of some €175 million.