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Covid-19 Pandemic Supports

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 28 July 2020

Tuesday, 28 July 2020

Questions (722)

Kathleen Funchion

Question:

722. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the amount spent on the wages top-up for childcare workers during Covid-19. [18601/20]

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Written answers

In order to support the sustainability of the Early Learning and Care and School-Age Childcare Sector my Department launched the Temporary Wage Subsidy Childcare Scheme (TWSCS). The TWSCS was layered on top of the Revenue TWSS and provided additional funding towards childcare staff wages to ensure that they could be retained by their employer. 

The TWSCS operated from 6 April 2020 for a period of 12 weeks. Over this period, €24.3m was allocated to childcare services to top up the wages of their staff. The wage top up was made available to 3,900 childcare services that signed up to and submitted applications for the TWSCS.

To ensure prompt payment in these challenging circumstances for employers, estimated payments were made initially, with reconciliations following to ensure accurate payments based on actual staff numbers. Pobal, on behalf of the Department, continues to administer and reconcile TWSCS applications and the final actual cost will be known shortly.

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