Enda Kenny
Ceist:50 Mr. Kenny asked the Minister for Education and Science the funding available to vocational educational committees to provide child care services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5192/04]
Amharc ar fhreagraThursday, 19 February 2004
Ceisteanna (55, 56)
Michael D. Higgins
Ceist:101 Mr. M. Higgins asked the Minister for Education and Science if he will restore adequate funding to VECs for child care programmes associated with VTOS, Youthreach and senior Traveller schemes for the 2004-05 school year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5239/04]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
I propose to take Questions Nos. 50 and 101 together.
Since 1998, my Department has made grants available for child care expenses for students on the VTOS, Youthreach and senior Traveller centre further education programmes. This was to facilitate the participation on these programmes of people for whom they were designed but who were not able to enrol on them because of child care responsibilities. The grants are paid annually by my Department to the VECs. It is intended as a contribution towards costs. VECs determine the level of provision and have discretion to bridge the gap between my Department's grant and the actual costs they approve.
The administration of grants to participants is a matter for individual VECs. A working group of representatives of my Department and the Irish Vocational Education Association has been established to review the criteria for the allocation of grants for child care for 2004 and into the future. The allocation for child care for 2004 will not be determined until the revised Estimates for public services are published at the end of February.