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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 23 Nov 1999

Vol. 511 No. 3

Written Answers. - Report on Child Care.

Frances Fitzgerald

Ceist:

55 Ms Fitzgerald asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he has received the report of the interdepartmental committee on child care; and when he will implement the recommendations contained within it. [21012/99]

Frances Fitzgerald

Ceist:

88 Ms Fitzgerald asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of times the interdepartmental committee on child care has met; the members of the committee; and if its work is ongoing or completed. [21014/99]

I propose to take Questions Nos. 55 and 88 together.

The interdepartmental committee on child care was established in February 1999 and was chaired by Bernard McDonagh, Second Secretary at my Department. The membership comprised representatives at senior official level of 11 relevant Government Departments, that is the Departments of the Taoiseach, Finance, Social, Community and Family Affairs, Health and Children, Education and Science, Environment and Local Government, Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Tourism, Sport and Recreation, Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands, Agriculture, Food and Rural Development and my own Department.

The terms of reference of the committee were to evaluate, cost and prioritise the proposals in the report of the expert working group on child care and the child care proposals in the action programme for the millennium, the report of the Commission of the Family and the report of the National Forum for Early Childhood Education. The committee met on a total of 14 occasions and my Department submitted the report of the committee to the Government on 14 September 1999.

The Government noted the report and referred it for consideration to a ministerial group which I am chairing. The group includes the Tánaiste and Ministers for Finance, Health and Children, Social, Community and Family Affairs and Education and Science.

The ministerial group has met on three occasions and the matter of publication of the report of the interdepartmental committee on childcare will not be decided until the group has reported back to Cabinet. Future childcare policy will be considered in that context.
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