Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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923. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if certainty will be provided for parents and crèche owners by reactivating the CCS in view of the fact that crèches cannot plan adequately (details supplied) and are due to open on 29 June 2020; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11554/20]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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The Community Childcare Subvention Scheme (CCS) was merged with the Community Childcare Subvention Plus (CCSP) scheme at the beginning of the 2019-20 programme year in August 2019. CCSP, which has been in place since 2016, has identical eligibility criteria, levels of service and band rates as CCS.

As the Deputy is aware on 10 June I announced a major funding package to facilitate the reopening of childcare facilities from 29 June.

As part of these the measures all DCYA funding schemes, including universal subsidies and targeted subsidies for parents (NCS, CCSP and TEC) will be available again for children attending Early Learning and Childcare services from the reopening date 29 June.  

The CCSP programme closed to new applications on 15th November 2019 following the introduction of the National Childcare Scheme (NCS), however CCSP continues to be available to those who were on the programme when all childcare facilities closed on March 12 due to Covid-19.