773. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of vulnerable children, including those sponsored under the national childcare scheme, for example, children who are homeless and children funded through legacy childcare schemes, that are experiencing poverty, disadvantage or child welfare issues that will be availing of childcare services when childcare reopens on 29 June 2020; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12487/20]

It is not possible to know prior to the reopening of childcare services on June 29th how many children in the cohort described will return to a childcare service or the number in this category who may enrol for the first time.

I can provide the Deputy with the number of sponsored registrations in the current programme year prior to the closure of centre-based Early Learning and Care (ELC) and School Age Childcare (SAC)services on March 12 last.

With regard to the legacy schemes there were 44 active registrations under Community Childcare Subvention Resettlement (CCSR) which provides childcare funding to Programme Refugees and 213 active registrations under Community Childcare Subvention Resettlement (Transitional) which provides access to free childcare for children of families experiencing homelessness.

Under the National Childcare Scheme, the number of sponsored applications are as follows:

If a situation arises where demand in a childcare service exceeds capacity I have requested that these vulnerable children are given priority after frontline workers.

From September 2020, all sponsored childcare registrations will be made under the National Childcare Scheme.