Róisín Shortall
Ceist:52 Ms Shortall asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the reason there is no provision for a payment to assist parents with the cost of child care; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6107/00]
Written Answers. - Child Support.
As the Deputy will be aware, my Department currently provides child income support through the payment of child benefit and child dependant allowances and through the family income supplement scheme. These payments are not designed specifically to meet childcare costs.
The issue of childcare generally goes beyond the provision of payments in respect of child care costs. The recent budget, for instance, provides for substantial investment in the development of child care facilities. In the case of my own Department, £5 million has been allocated towards the development of out-of-school services by community-based groups.
In the context of the negotiations on the new Programme for Prosperity and Fairness, the Government has committed to adopting, by the end of 2000 and following a process of discussions with the social partners, an equitable strategy to support parents in meeting their child care needs, for implementation in the period of the programme. This process will address proposals advanced in the course of the negotiations on the new programme, which included proposals for direct payments per child.