The Minister for Children has said she is open to making retrospective payments to 9,000 families who will miss out on a €12-a-week childcare subsidy from September until an indeterminate time next year.
A spokesperson for Katherine Zappone told RTÉ News that no final decision will be made until the Single Affordable Childcare Scheme is up and running.
Earlier the Government announced the universal childcare subsidy for children under the age of three, which will be payable from September.
Ms Zappone said the measure will benefit up to 33,000 children, giving families of those in full-time, registered childcare an annual boost of €1,000.
The measure applies to children aged from six months to 36 months, or when they begin the free pre-school programme.
It is one of a number of measures which will be paid for by the additional €19m in funding agreed for the area in last October’s Budget.
However Ms Zappone has since revealed that the SCAS scheme will not be in place when the subsidy is introduced.
Government sources have explained that legislation is required to allow Ms Zappone’s Department of Children and Youth Affairs and the Revenue Commissioners to exchange information on the incomes of applicant families.
The Minister’s spokesperson said that although the legislation is on the Government’s priority list, data protection and information technology issues will remain to be resolved after the new law’s enactment.
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