Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 28 September 2016
92. Deputy Anne Rabbitte asked the Taoiseach if he will provide estimates for the number of children under five years of age with parents working more than 25 hours per week, whose primary form of child care is undertaken by a childminder or a relative and the number whose care is undertaken in a centre-based setting such as a creche. [27602/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Survey on Income and Living Conditions (SILC) survey is the official source of estimates of income in the State. The most recent figures available are for 2014.
In 2014, the estimated number of children under five years of age with parents working more than 25 hours per week whose primary form of childcare was undertaken by a child-minder or a relative was 78,000. The estimated number of children under five years of age with parents working more than 25 hours per week whose primary form of childcare was in a centre based setting such as a crèche was 42,900. Children who received both forms of childcare are counted only in the category in which they received the larger number of hours of childcare. Due to the nature of the data holdings in SILC the 25 hour threshold above is a combination of all hours worked by persons in employment in the household in which the child resides.
The SILC survey is a household survey which is based on sample data. It should therefore be noted that the robustness and reliability of the detailed estimates above which are produced from the SILC survey should be treated with caution due to the small sample sizes from which these detailed estimates are produced.
