496. Deputy Dominic Hannigan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the steps he is taking to increase the number of free community child care places in County Meath; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29051/15]

My Department administers the Community Childcare Subvention (CCS) Programme which is provided through community/not-for-profit childcare services. In excess of €40 million is provided annually by my Department to support the CCS Programme and this enables the parents of some 25,000 children to avail of affordable childcare.

In the region of 900 community/not-for-profit childcare services, 15 of whom are located in County Meath, participate in the CCS programme and they qualify for subvention funding on the basis of the level of service they provide and the profile of the parents benefiting from their service. The subvention funding provided under this Programme enables these services to reduce weekly childcare fees charged to disadvantaged or low income working families.

Currently, there is no funding to allow for the entry of new community/not-for-profit childcare services to the CCS programme. New applications can only be accepted if the new service is replacing an existing service that is leaving the programme.

It is likely however, that this will be considered by the Inter-Departmental Group on Future Investment in Early Years and After-School Care and Education, which I established in February this year. This Inter-Departmental Group, which is tasked with setting out a range of options for current and future investment, will consider options to enhance affordability, options to increase the accessibility of provision and options to build the quality of provision and support the sustainability of the early years sector. The Group is expected to submit a series of recommendations to Government shortly.