Vol. 502 No. 1
165 Ms Shortall asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if his attention has been drawn to a recent report by Barnardos on crèche and play group facilities in disadvantaged areas; his views on the convention that these services are not economically viable without State funding; the responsibility, if any, he takes for ensuring the provision of these services; his intentions, if any, in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5992/99]
My attention has been drawn to the recent Barnardos report entitled Childcare in Disadvantaged Areas: A Partnership Approach to Viability. In fact, I launched this report on Wednesday 17 February. In 1994, my Department, in partnership with Area Development Management Limited, initiated and funded the pilot childcare initiative under which once-off capital grants were made available to community childcare projects in disadvantaged areas. On taking office in 1997, I expanded and developed this initiative into the Equal Opportunities Childcare Programme. Under this programme, both capital and core funding is provided to community organisations with the aim of improving the qual ity and quantity of childcare provision in Ireland from an equal opportunities/disadvantaged perspective.
The Barnardos report investigates the success to date of a sample of the organisations who received funding under the pilot childcare initiative and examines the commercial viability of providing childcare in disadvantaged areas and concludes that such services are not financially viable as independent business ventures. The report demonstrates the necessity of local and national interests to contribute to the provision of chiidcare facilities and recommendations are based on a partnership model.
This issue was amongst those addressed by the Expert Working Group on Childcare which was chaired by my Department and which launched a report on 3 February 1999. The expert working group stressed the importance of a partnership between the State, employers, social partners, local communities and parents with a child-centred approach. The group recommended an integrated package of supply and demand support measures, including funding for local measures.
Two other reports were published recently which also contain proposals to address the childcare situation – the report of the Commission on the Family and the report of the Forum for Early Childhood Education. Childcare is a complex issue and the three reports differ in relation to the solutions proposed and the issues addressed. The Government, therefore, has established an interdepartmental committee to evaluate, cost and prioritise the childcare proposals in all three reports together with the relevant proposals in An Action Programme for the Millennium and to make recommendations to the Government within six months.
