Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 22 September 2015
687. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if he will provide a commitment to improve the standard and availability of child-care facilities, the provisions and supports that are available to child-care facilities which are proving to be financially unviable and at risk of imminent closure in areas where there are no alternative child-care facilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30656/15]
View answerIn the region of €260 million is provided annually by my Department through community/not-for-profit and private childcare services to support a number of childcare programmes which assist parents in accessing quality and affordable childcare. In the region of 4,300 childcare services are participating in these programmes.
The childcare programmes include the free pre-school year provided under the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme, the Community Childcare Subvention (CCS) programme, which provides funding to community childcare services to support disadvantaged or low income families, and a number of programmes that support parents returning to work or availing of education or training opportunities. These programmes include the Childcare Education and Training Supports (CETS) programme providing support to parents availing of training and education courses provided by Solas or the Education Training Board (ETB), the After-School Child Care (ASCC) programme and a Community Employment Childcare (CEC) programme supporting qualifying parents who are participating in Community Employment (CE) schemes.
The funding to support these childcare programmes has been maintained despite the difficult budgetary position that has prevailed in recent years.
I recognise the difficulties being faced by childcare providers and parents and I am aware of their concerns in relation to the sustainability of services. I am looking at the question of appropriate supports for childcare in the wider context. The Inter-Departmental Group on Future Investment in Early Years and After-School Care and Education, which I established earlier this year, has set out a range of options for future investment, including options to enhance affordability, options to increase the accessibility of provision and options to build the quality of provision of early years and school-aged childcare.
I published the Report of the Inter-Departmental Group on 22 July to facilitate a further debate within the sector and among parents generally about the value of and priority that should be attached to the various options for future investment, which were set out in the Report. The options in this Report are now being considered as part of the Estimates Process for 2016.
