Anne Rabbitte
Ceist:54. Deputy Anne Rabbitte asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs when the national childcare scheme will be fully operational and open to all parents. [43573/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraTuesday, 22 October 2019
Ceisteanna (54)
Freagraí ó Béal (8 píosaí cainte)
My question asks the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs to clarify when the national childcare scheme will be fully operational and open to all parents.
The national childcare scheme will open to online applications on Wednesday, 20 November, with subsidies flowing from the following Monday, 25 November. The paper-based application will be available early in the new year. Children and families using the existing schemes may choose to remain on their current schemes.
In preparation for the national launch of the scheme in November, we have been piloting the IT system since 16 September. The pilot has been highly valuable, allowing us to identify and address a number of issues.
Last week, I signalled that a minor snag had been identified, which blocked a small number of applications from proceeding through the system. This relates to families with more than four children. The issue has been rectified but required a few additional weeks to address the issue and retest the system.
I am pleased that we now plan for the scheme to open for applications on 20 November. We expect approximately 65,000 children to benefit from the income-based component and a further 15,000 to 20,000 children to be on the universal scheme. Some 7,000 children will benefit for the first time. We anticipate that the families of approximately 45,000 children will receive subsidies higher than those they are currently receiving.
The pilot will continue for the coming weeks. Parents participating in the pilot will be able to register and use their subsidy award once the scheme opens. We are also inviting providers to complete programme readiness activities in this final pre-launch phase in order that they are ready to go and that subsidies can flow as quickly as possible.
The national childcare scheme is a landmark and highly innovative initiative. It is our future pathway to quality, accessible and affordable childcare in Ireland and our platform to support long-term investment in universal and targeted supports.
Parents and providers deserve a robust system and a positive user experience when accessing the scheme. It is too important for families for us not to deliver the best possible scheme and system. Parents with any queries regarding the national childcare scheme are encouraged to check our website, www.ncs.gov.ie, or to phone our parent information line.
I thank the Minister for her response. I said, when I asked about the scheme last June, that I was looking forward to asking the question because it was going to be the last time I did. I did not think I would have to ask about the scheme again. Is the Minister confident at this stage that we are down to the last snagging issues? Is she confident that the problem relating to families with more than four children is the last one? Is she confident that on 20 November, I will be tweeting that the scheme has gone live? There are many parents waiting. The Minister was right about how many children will be brought into the scheme.
I am afraid because this has gone on for so long. The Minister and I cannot build an ICT system but at the same time, these problems have been ongoing since 2017. The Minister has piloted the scheme and it was being trialled when I asked about the issue last February. The childcare providers need to know that they are off the paper-based model.
Is the public service card still part of the model of the new childcare scheme?
In answer to the first of the Deputy's questions, as she is aware this is one of the most significant infrastructural projects that the State has taken on in the past couple of years. We have had in place a project management oversight board of experts in all the different fields, governing the implementation of this initiative to the highest standard. That is exceptionally important in order that, when the scheme is ultimately delivered, we can have confidence in the ways it has been put together.
I had the opportunity to visit the people who are building the system last week. Officials from my Department, Pobal and business analysts from Codec, which is the company we hired to build this incredible system, met one another. Having met those representatives and listened to the ways they are putting the system together and testing it for the last time, I can say to the Deputy that I feel very confident that this scheme will open on 20 November.
I ask Deputy Rabbitte to follow up.
I apologise because I have not answered the Deputy's last question.
There is no hassle and I am sure she will answer it the next time. Have we the people with skill sets to man this system or how will it be manned and maintained? We all know that computer systems are quite fickle and may break down, particularly when the system will be inundated in the middle of August, when people will want to register to avail of the scheme or to apply for the September intake under the early childhood care and education, ECCE, scheme, or when children enrol for the first time. Have we properly-resourced people with the proper skill sets to maintain the system within Pobal or the Department? We must ensure that, when the system goes down, it is back on track very quickly in order that people do not miss out on the opportunity to avail of subsidies or whatever benefits they are entitled to.
Having seen last week how the system works, is the Minister confident that it is user friendly?
I am fully confident that it is user friendly. I was given a demonstration of a couple of family types that could use it and how relatively straightforward it was to use. Ultimately, there is a determination of the award and what the subsidy will be. It will be revolutionary, not only for parents and families but also for providers. Nevertheless, it will probably take some time for people to use it, to understand how to do so, to follow the instructions and so on, as well as for providers to take it up, because it is such a large leap into something new. I am also very confident there will be the supports required to maintain the system. One of the reasons for the use of the various types of pilot scheme is in order that when it goes live, we will feel confident that it will work on busy days when there will be an influx. That is also why I emphasise the pilot scheme we have undertaken. All of the people who have gone through the pilot scheme have effectively obtained their award; they just need to pass it on to the provider of their choice. Some of the work has been done and providers are getting ready.