Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 13 October 2020
341. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Children, Disability, Equality and Integration the reason parents are required to keep their child’s full attendance up in a crèche or risk funding being cut in view of the fact that County Dublin is in level 3 restrictions and there is a strong encouragement to work from home and have fewer social contacts; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29932/20]
View answerMy Department provides a number of funding schemes which provide help to parents and guardians with childcare fees, including the NCS, CCSP and TEC. Under these schemes parents pay a reduced fee, and the Department compensates the providers for the loss in income. In addition my Department fully funds the universal free preschool programme ECCE. These schemes are administered by Pobal.
Each of the funding agreements include attendance requirements, to ensure that the Department is subsidising actual attendance. There is flexibility in the current attendance rules. A child can be absent, or have changed their attendance pattern, for four weeks without there being any change to the funding received by the provider.
If a child is absent, or has a changed attendance pattern, for more than four weeks, the provider may apply to their local CCC for permission to retain the original funding they receive for an additional 8 weeks.
Any parents who are experiencing difficulties with any aspect of service provision should contact their local County Childcare Committee (CCC) for assistance. Contact details for all of the CCCs are available at www.myccc.ie
