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EXCERPTS
The [Irish] government was last night urged to abandon a controversial childcare funding scheme after it was revealed that it was threatening services for disadvantaged children.
Trade union SIPTU demanded the scheme be scrapped after a report found childcare providers have seen their funding slashed since it was introduced.
Five out of 12 community childcare providers in inner city Dublin had funding cut under the Community Childcare Subvention Scheme (CCSS).
It is feared they will see a further reduction of 15pc in 2009, and 25pc in 2010, and face a "real risk" of closing.
Under the scheme, a subsidy is paid to parents on full social welfare payments or those in receipt of Family Income Supplement (FIS).
It has replaced funding through staffing grants, which allowed childcare providers to offer reduced rates for disadvantaged parents.
The new means test has meant many low-income families are not eligible for any subvention.
According to a report by the Dublin Inner City Partnership and Inner City Community Childcare Providers Network (ICCCPN), low-income parents are seeing increases ranging from 50pc to 166pc over 2007 costs. SIPTU branch organiser Gerry Flanagan said the hikes are hitting low-income families particularly hard.
"For some parents these increases are simply unaffordable and they have had to take their children out of childcare," he said.
The report warns there is now a risk that vulnerable children will lose valuable access to pre-school education.
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A spokesman for the minister yesterday said there were no plans to close the scheme. "A large majority of parents in these services will see a significant decrease in the fees they pay for childcare as a result of the new scheme," he said.
- reprinted from the Independent