Vol. 518 No. 4
105 Mr. S. Ryan asked the Minister for Education and Science the plans, if any, he has to set targets in relation to the quantity of child care places to be made available over the next few years; the proposals, if any, he has to address the inadequate number of places; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11810/00]
The Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform is charged with overall responsibility for co-ordinating child care service delivery arrangements. An investment of £250 million is being provided to expand provision in this area under the national development plan. This will provide for capital grants and grants towards staffing for community based childcare facilities, training and supports to national voluntary and child care organisations, the networking of child care providers, and a new capital grant scheme for independent child care service providers.
In relation to the education sector, my Department is providing £2.3 million this year for child care to support access of participants to Youthreach and Traveller training centre programmes for early school leavers, and the vocational training opportunity scheme for the unemployed. The funds are allocated to vocational education committees for direct provision of creches, purchase of places on existing commercial or community creches, and payment of child minders subject to compliance with tax and registration requirements under the Child Care Acts. Some 420 children have benefited to date from the measure. While it is hoped that this will increase over the period ahead, feedback to date indicates a shortage of available child minders and a fear of transferring from the black economy. Rapidly rising child care and building costs, growth in other employment opportunities, and a fall-off nationally in the supply of child minding places has added to difficulties in progressing the measure.
