Anne Rabbitte
Ceist:84. 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. [43240/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraTuesday, 22 October 2019
Ceisteanna (84)
Freagraí scríofa
The National Childcare Scheme will open to online applications on Wednesday 20th November, with subsidies flowing from the following Monday, 25th 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 them.
In preparation for the national launch of the Scheme in November, we have been piloting the IT system since 16th 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 has 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 the 20th of November. We expect around 65,000 children to benefit from the targeted component, and a further 15 - 20,000 children to be on the universal scheme. It is estimated that 7,000 children will benefit for the first time.
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 advance of the full launch so that they are ready to go when parents come to them with their awards and so that subsidies can flow as quickly as possible.
I believe that allowing these extra few weeks before launching the National Childcare Scheme is the right thing to do. The Scheme is a highly innovative landmark initiative. It is our pathway to quality, accessible, affordable childcare in Ireland, and 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 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.i e or to phone our Parent Information line at 01 9068530.