Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 8 July 2015
10. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if he is aware that the employment performance monitor for 2015, recently approved by the European Union Council of Ministers, identifies the availability of affordable and quality child care as a key challenge for Ireland and a challenge that the European Commission will therefore monitor; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27363/15]
View answerI am aware that the lack of access to affordable, quality childcare can be a significant barrier to many low-income and disadvantaged families seeking to avail of work opportunities. To address this issue, my Department currently invests over €260 million each year to support a number of childcare programmes. These include: the free pre-school year provided under the Early Childhood Care and Education programme which benefits approximately 67,000 children each year and reduces the childcare costs for parents by as much as €2,774 for each qualifying child; and the Community Childcare Subvention programme, which provides funding to community childcare services to support disadvantaged or low income families. In the region of 25,000 children benefit from this programme each year and, in the case of full day care, parents can have their childcare costs reduced by up to €95 per week.
Further childcare support is provided under a number of labour activation measures which support parents returning to the workforce or availing of education or training opportunities. These include the: Childcare Education and Training Supports programme for parents availing of training and education courses; Community Employment Childcare programme for parents in Community Employment schemes; and After-School Childcare programme for after-school care.
The high level of funding to support these childcare programmes has been maintained despite the difficult budgetary position that has prevailed in recent years. To ensure that all the benefits of current (and future) investment are fully realised, it must be evidence-based and strategically co-ordinated. Accordingly, I have established an Inter-Departmental Group to develop a coherent whole-of-Government approach to investment in childcare. This Group is considering the needs of children in their early years as well as the needs of school-going children. The Group will submit its report to me shortly and I intend to bring it to Government for discussion in the context of the Estimates process for Budget 2016.
