Childcare

Oral Answers to Questions — Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister – in the Northern Ireland Assembly at 2:15 pm on 5 October 2015.

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Photo of Seán Rogers Seán Rogers Social Democratic and Labour Party 2:15, 5 October 2015

6. Mr Rogers asked the First Minister and deputy First Minister what considerations they have given to implementing 30-hours free weekly childcare for working parents. (AQO 8773/11-16)

Photo of Barry McElduff Barry McElduff Sinn Féin

10. Mr McElduff asked the First Minister and deputy First Minister for an update on the implementation, aims and resourcing of the Childcare Strategy. (AQO 8777/11-16)

Photo of Martin McGuinness Martin McGuinness Sinn Féin

Mr Speaker, with your permission, I will ask junior Minister McCann to answer.

Photo of Jennifer McCann Jennifer McCann Sinn Féin

With your permission, Mr Speaker, I will answer questions 6 and 10 together.

We are aware of the provisions of the Westminster Childcare Bill, which will increase the amount of free preschool childcare available to working parents in England. The Executive have committed to provide a year's funded preschool education to every family that wants it. A full-time preschool place is 22 and a half hours a week, while a part-time place provides 12 and a half hours a week. The primary purpose of the preschool education programme is educational and focused on the development of the child. A positive consequence is that parents can enter the workforce. While, currently, there are no plans to extend the number of hours provided under the preschool education programme, that does not preclude consideration of such provision in the future.

In the context of expanding on early care and childhood development initiatives, the Executive's draft childcare strategy is open for public consultation until 13 November. The draft childcare strategy has two high-level aims: to promote child development and to enable parents to join the workforce. Each of those will, in turn, contribute to enhanced levels of economic activity, greater equality and social inclusion and reduced child poverty, thereby delivering social change.

The draft strategy proposes 22 separate interventions or actions to give effect to the Executive's vision for childcare. Our proposals will be finalised only on the basis of the feedback that we get from a range of stakeholders, including parents, practitioners and policymakers. Once the strategy is agreed, we will take forward each intervention separately, supported by a detailed business case and implementation plan.

Photo of Seán Rogers Seán Rogers Social Democratic and Labour Party

I thank the Minister for her answer. Has OFMDFM had any further discussions on Barnett consequentials from the implementation of the 30 hours of free childcare in England?

Photo of Jennifer McCann Jennifer McCann Sinn Féin

Officials are looking at the issue of childcare as a whole. I am not sure what you are talking about in relation to the Barnett consequentials, and I will come back to you with a definite answer on that. However, our officials are in close contact with officials in the Westminster Government to see how anything that happens there can be developed and brought forward here.

Photo of Steven Agnew Steven Agnew Green

What is being done to ensure that childcare providers are properly trained in the area of special educational needs?

Photo of Jennifer McCann Jennifer McCann Sinn Féin

The Member will be aware that, as I have said before during Question Time, the 15 key first sections of the draft childcare strategy were to look especially at training for people who work with children with disabilities. In some of the conversations that I have had when I am out speaking to some of the childcare providers, that has been an issue. Therefore, provision is made there for some organisations that deliver that, particularly to children with disabilities, to avail themselves of money to train their staff to an adequate level so that they can work with children with disabilities.

Photo of Chris Lyttle Chris Lyttle Alliance

Given that, at times, the monthly cost of childcare for many families is bigger than their monthly mortgage payment, what is the Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister doing to promote the existing financial assistance schemes, such as the childcare voucher scheme, to families and employers in Northern Ireland?

Photo of Jennifer McCann Jennifer McCann Sinn Féin

The Member will be aware that we had long consultations with people on the voucher scheme. We are also looking at the new scheme coming in with that. The childcare voucher scheme will still be available for people who have it at the moment. In terms of the overall childcare strategy, that is exactly what we are trying to do. We are trying to provide childcare in a way that targets the people who most need it. The key issue that will affect families with children is the cuts to tax credits that the Westminster Government are talking about bringing forward. That will impact on over 120,000 families here in the North. On average, each household will lose up to £1,000 a year. That is a big part of the household budget that will be taken away. We are trying to ensure provision for childcare, but there are other issues that will impact on all of that. We will try to do our best, in our childcare strategy, to mitigate the cost as much as possible.

Photo of Mitchel McLaughlin Mitchel McLaughlin Speaker 2:30, 5 October 2015

That brings us to the end of the period for listed questions. We will now move on to 15 minutes of topical questions.