Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 16 October 2014
203. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Education and Skills her plans on making a child care allowance available to persons attending university access courses in a way similar to the way a child care allowance is paid on SOLAS organised courses and plc courses; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39683/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraChildcare support was introduced in the late 1990s as a way of providing assistance to people participating on specific Further Education programmes who faced barriers returning to education. In 2010, this programme was restructured into the Childcare Education and Training Scheme (CETS) administered by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs. It is not intended to extend the scheme further at this point. The Student Assistant Fund (SAF) is managed at local level by the Access/Student Services Office in higher education institutions. The objective of the SAF is to provide financial assistance for full-time higher education students who are experiencing financial difficulties whilst attending college. This includes students from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds with ongoing needs for financial support, as well as students with other circumstances giving rise to short or longer-term financial difficulties, including family responsibilities, bereavement, family difficulties, accidents or health problems. It is open to full-time registered students on courses of not less than one year's duration leading to an undergraduate or postgraduate qualification. The Fund is not open to students on access courses. The provision of crèche facilities in third level institutions is a matter for the institutions as part of their services to students. Information on the creche facilities provided is available from the individual institutions.
