Vol. 573 No. 3
568 Mr. Morgan asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he intends to introduce legislation to require employers to provide on-site child care facilities for their staff; the size of the business or company to which such a requirement will apply; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24938/03]
The Deputy will be aware that there have been very significant developments in relation to the provision of child care over the last number of years. Child care was identified as a priority area for investment in the National Development Plan 2000 to 2006 and the Equal Opportunities Childcare Programme 2000 – 2006, EOCP, was launched by my Department in April 2000. The EOCP is a seven-year programme with the principal aims of increasing the number of child care facilities and places, enhancing the quality of child care services and to introduce a co-ordinated approach to the delivery of child care services. The total funding allocated to my Department for these purposes during the seven year period of the programme is €437 million.
The EOCP is working to address the child care needs of parents who are working or who are engaged in training and education activities. The programme provides capital grant assistance to community not-for-profit organisations and to private child care providers to increase the supply of child care places or enhance the quality of existing places. The EOCP offers staffing grants to community-based not-for-profit organisations which have a focus on meeting the child care needs of disadvantaged families and it also offers supports to the national voluntary child-care organisations and to other groups working to improve the quality of child care in Ireland.
It is estimated that the 1,802 grants to child care providers and community groups approved to date will create 25,660 new child care places and will also support over 25,033 existing places on completion of the projects. In addition, almost €27 million has been allocated towards quality improvement measures which includes supports for the national voluntary child-care organisations and the city and county child care committees. City and county child care committees have been established in 33 city and county areas to develop and implement co-ordinated strategic plans for child care provision within their local area over the period 2000-2006.
I am not considering any proposal to introduce legislation to require employers to provide on site child care facilities, nor has any such proposal been presented to me. The child care requirements of parents can vary significantly depending on their personal circumstances and work patterns and it is unlikely that work-based child care facilities alone would, in all cases, fully meet child care needs. The subject of child care for working parents is being considered by a partnership sub-committee which has been established under Sustaining Progress. Officials of my Department have already had meetings with IBEC and ICTU to consider issues relating to the availability of quality child care for working parents, with a particular emphasis on the feasibility of establishing workplace child care arrangements.
