Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 22 September 2020
596. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Children, Disability, Equality and Integration if the significant variation in access to services will be addressed for children who were not enrolled in the national childcare scheme before November 2019 including extra supports for language and social communication; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25362/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe National Childcare Scheme is the first ever statutory entitlement to financial support for childcare. It establishes an equitable and progressive system of universal and income-related subsidies for children up to the age of 15. It also provides an innovative and user-friendly online application process to access those subsidies.
Through all of the above, the National Childcare Scheme aims to improve children's outcomes, support lifelong learning, make work pay, reduce child poverty and tangibly reduce the cost of quality childcare for thousands of families across Ireland.
My Department is not aware of any impact from the introduction of the NCS which would affect supports for language and social communication. Such supports are entirely separate to a scheme providing for subsidised childcare. I understand that the Deputy is referring to NCS sponsor arrangements with the HSE
The NCS makes special arrangements for vulnerable children and families, the HSE is a designated statutory body and may make referrals for childcare support under the NCS.
The need for a referral is a determination for the relevant Sponsor Body and one they make based on the particular need of the child in line with their defined criteria.
The HSE under the NCS can sponsor a child
- under the age of 4 and who is not enrolled in a pre-school programme funded by the Minister or the Minister for Education and Skills and who would otherwise not attend a childcare service
- where a Child and Family Health Needs Assessment has been done by a Public Health Nurse and this has deemed the child to be in need of early intervention and require additional supports under child developmental needs, parental capacity and environmental factors, and
- where there is an identified need for childcare as an additional support to the home environment to meet the child developmental needs.
The criteria above were designed to be broad to allow a PHN to put forward vulnerable children in need of additional supports for sponsorship under the NCS. These criteria have been set by the HSE. There is no definition of ‘extreme vulnerability" in the criteria. However a child must be deemed eligible by the Sponsor Body.
I have asked my officials to contact the HSE and raise this issue with them. if you would like to give my Department the specific information on this case, my officials will ask the HSE to follow up with the PHN in question directly.
It is ultimately a matter for the HSE who they sponsor onto the NCS but my Department will follow up with the HSE to ensure they are aware of the case.
