Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 15 July 2014
810. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the position regarding the promised review on both the CCS and the CETS schemes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30837/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Community Childcare Subvention (CCS) programme, which provides support for sessional pre-school, full time, part time and after school places, is targeted at disadvantaged or low income families and eligibility is based on means-tested entitlements.
The Childcare Education and Training Support (CETS) programme supports parents who are endeavouring to enter or return to the workforce and who are participating in training or educational courses for this purpose. Under the CETS programme childcare services are contracted to provide childcare places to qualifying Solas or Education and Training Boards trainees or students for the duration of their courses. This programme also provides part time and after school places.
Two additional support programmes, which were introduced initially under the CETS programme, are also implemented by my Department. The After-School Child Care (ASCC) programme was introduced in October 2013. This programme provides after-school care for primary school children for certain categories of working parents for a once-off period of 52 weeks. The Community Employment Childcare (CEC) programme was introduced in January 2014. This support can be accessed by qualifying parents over a number of years.
A number of enhancements to the ASCC and CEC programmes were recently announced by this Department and the Department of Social Protection (DSP). These enhancements will make the programmes more accessible to a wider range of parents entering or preparing to enter the labour force by providing after-school support to additional categories of parents participating in DSP employment programmes. The increase in the age eligibility of children from 5 years to 13 years for support under the CEC programme is a significant enhancement that will benefit parents participating in CE programmes.
My Department has commenced the process of reviewing all the targeted childcare support programmes and this process is ongoing. This review will determine how best to structure future childcare support both to support working families and to further incentivise labour market activation.
