Vol. 450 No. 2
36 Mr. Kenneally asked the Minister for Equality and Law Reform if he intends to implement any legislation to provide child-care facilities for working parents in order to give these parents opportunities for employment in all sections of the community, particularly women; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4812/95]
The question of legislating for child care facilities is a matter for my colleague, the Minister for Health. This Government is committed to the full implementation of all provisions of the Child Care Act by 1996 including those relating to the regulation of child care facilities.
I am conscious of the need for child care facilities for working parents to enable them participate in the employment market and my Department is devoting increasing attention to measures which facilitate parents', particularly womens' access to employment.
Last year I set up a scheme of local child care projects to develop child care facilities in disadvantaged areas administered by local partnership structures. Funding of £1 million for this scheme has been provided by my Department.
I have been concerned, too, to ensure that programmes run under EU Structural Funds from which Ireland receives significant assistance should also be directed towards the development of child care facilities, in line with the National Development Plan. The human resources operational programme which was launched last month acknowledges the need to develop child care facilities to support women's access to training and employment schemes, and outlines the child care initiatives which will be undertaken by FÁS and the Department of Education.
I am pleased to say that FÁS has also indicated its intention to co-operate in my Department's child care schemes, and to assist in developing child care enterprises and community-based child care facilities by using what I hope will be an imaginative approach to targeting child care actions under the Community Employment and Community Training schemes.
The local urban and rural development programme, launched last month, also provides scope for developing child care facilities. My Department is actively involved in working with local development structures and partnerships to encourage them to include the development of child care infrastructure in their operations and action plans.
What initiatives will the Minister take in respect of parents who want to work? I have in mind single parents, unmarried mothers, deserted wives or deserted husbands which have become a bigger category in the last few years. They normally cannot afford child-minding facilities and must be supported and helped to improve their own selfesteem and give their children the same opportunities enjoyed by children in other families.
That is being tackled at two levels. One is the important child care initiative developed by my Department for which the sum of £1 million has been provided. Some 73 child care projects last year — perhaps there may be more this year — were approved and are receiving grant assistance from my Department. It is open to any community organisation on its own or in common with employers to set up a child care project and receive grant assistance from my Department. In addition, some £8 million has been provided under the human resources operational programme over the period to 1999. The need to develop child care facilities as part of those programmes is written in under the equality section of that programme for the purpose of supporting women's access to training and employment schemes. Both initiatives will involve the participation of FÁS and the Department of Education. FÁS is also involved in the pilot projects organised within the ambit of my Department.
The Minister mentioned the sum of £1 million. I presume he was referring to the child care initiative. What funding is available under the NOW, new opportunities for women, programme?
A sum of £8 million has been provided for the human resources programme of which child care facilities will form an integral part. It will be administered by the Department of Enterprise and Employment and the Department of Education.
Is the Minister aware of the income disregard provisions introduced by the Fianna Fail-Labour Coalition Government which apply to lone parents, including unmarried mothers, deserted wives and husbands? In the budget these were improved. They offer an opportunity to promote the provision of child care facilities to enable more parents participate in the workforce. I ask the Minister to consider this.
I thank the Deputy. I will draw the attention of the relevant Minister to his comments.
That concludes Question Time for today.
