Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 7 November 2018
37. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the extent to which she is satisfied regarding the availability of childcare facilities in view of the increasing necessity for both parents to be at work and to meet the requirements of one parent families; the ongoing work being undertaken to improve provisions in this area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45722/18]
View answerA key priority for me as Minister for Children and Youth Affairs is to ensure access to high quality and affordable early years and school-age childcare services.
Each year Pobal conducts research on behalf of my Department to examine a number of factors related to childcare services in Ireland, including the monitoring of capacity. The most recent Early Years Sector Profile 2016/2017 indicates that existing childcare provision in general meets the needs nationwide in terms of capacity. Latest available data from Pobal indicates that in general there remains no issue in relation to capacity.
I am delighted to have secured €8.86m in capital funding for childcare in 2019. While the precise details of 2019’s Capital offering have yet to be finalised, this funding will be used to meet the most pressing needs of the sector with the ultimate aim of benefitting parents and children through improving our childcare infrastructure.
Furthermore, under the National Planning Framework and the National Development Plan published earlier this year, I ensured that Childcare was identified as one of our nation's strategic priorities with €250 million in additional funding to expand childcare capacity over the duration of the Plan.
I am also aware that many parents opt to use childminders to care for their pre-school and school-age children. In recognition of this, I commissioned a Childminding Working Group whose report was published in March 2018. In response, I have made a commitment to develop and publish by the end of the year a childminding action plan containing short, medium and long term goals for the childminding sector. This action plan will set out steps to move incrementally over the years ahead towards the wider regulation, support and professional development of childminders, along with a timescale for these to be carried out. My Department is currently developing the action plan, with the intention of publication before the end of December.
Another significant element of the increased childcare provision in Budget 2019 is the allocation of €0.5m to create a team of Childminding Support Officers to support the registration of childminders with Tusla and to help them upskill to the required regulatory standards to be introduced in the coming years. Only childminders registered with Tusla will be able to offer the Affordable Childcare Scheme (ACS).
The scheme will provide financial support for parents, establish a sustainable platform for investment in the childcare sector for decades to come and- crucially- allow us to continue to invest in giving our children the best start in life. Its launch will mark a milestone in our quest to transform Ireland's childcare system from one of the most expensive in the world into one of the best.
As part of Budget 2019 my Department again delivered as promised on the commitment to continue investing in our children and young people. Budget 2019 represents another significant step in ensuring access to high quality, affordable childcare and early years education. The additional €89m in 2019 will allow for thousands of families to benefit under the Affordable Childcare Scheme.
