Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 29 July 2020
254. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if crèches are obliged to refund fees paid by parents for the two weeks during which there was no service since 17 March 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19439/20]
View answerMy Department has introduced a range of supports for Early Learning and Care (ELC) and School Age Childcare (SAC) facilities, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. These supports have aimed to maintain the sustainability of the sector and to maintain the affordability of services for parents.
Following the closure of ELC and SAC services on 12 March 2020, my Department continued to make ELC and SAC programme payments on an ex-gratia basis. This temporary arrangement was an immediate response to the closures for the purpose of the sustainability of the sector while more appropriate policy responses were being considered. No special conditions were attached to these payments, and arrangements for the payment of parental fees are a matter between parents and providers. There is therefore no obligation for services to refund parental fees for the two weeks following 17 March. However, subsequent schemes to support the ELC and SAC sector during this period did introduce certain fee controls to maintain affordability for parents.
The Temporary Wage Subsidy Childcare Scheme (TWSCS) was introduced on 6 April. This supplemented the Revenue-operated Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme by providing a top up for staff wages and a contribution to ongoing overhead costs. One of the conditions of payment under the TWSCS is that services would not charge parents fees for the period of the TWSCS. That period was from 6 April to 28 June.
From 29 June, as services began to reopen, my Department provided a major funding package to facilitate the reopening of ELC and SAC services. This funding package provided a Reopening Support Payment (RSP) to allow providers to operate with potentially less parental income and to assist in meeting the possible costs associated with complying with public health requirements. It is a condition of the Reopening Support Payment that participating services must apply the Registered Fees List that was in place on 12 March 2020, without amendments, for the duration of the scheme, until 23 August. Where possible, services are also requested to avoid charging fees, deposits or other measures to hold places.
On 25 July I announced a package of measures to support the ELC and SAC sector as remaining services reopen in late August and early September. This is a substantial investment of just under €300 million in the period from 24 August to the end of the year. It recognises the importance of the sector for children’s positive development and in terms of supporting the economy to return to normal.
This package will help services already open to stay open, and it will help all those other ELC and SAC services that are due to open at the end of August / early September to do so. The €300m package to the end of the year should also prevent parents from having to pay higher fees to cover extra COVID-related costs.
