IT system for childcare grant not even started

THE development of a crucial IT system required for the Government’s much-heralded Affordable Childcare Scheme has not yet started, the Irish Mail on Sunday has learned.

The grant was supposed to be up and running by September, but that date has now been pushed back multiple times to an unspecified time in 2018.

It has now emerged that work has not even begun on a key aspect of the scheme. The department is looking to outsource significant technical aspects of the administration of the grant.

The scheme was the Government’s headline announcement in the last Budget, with Children’s Minister Katherine Zappone charged with getting it across the line.

The universal part of the scheme – which provides payments to parents with children under three – will be rolled out in September, benefiting 70,000 children.

However, the means-tested part of the scheme has been repeatedly delayed as difficulties in coordinating a scheme across multiple State bodies begin to emerge. The ambitious scheme involves data sharing between the Department of Children and Youth Affairs, the Department of Social Protection and the Revenue Commissioners.

It is to be administered by Pobal, a not-for-profit company that manages programmes on behalf of the Government and the EU.

New legislation had to be passed in the Dáil to allow for citizens’ data to be shared between the different State bodies.

Pobal has confirmed to the MoS that the development of the new IT system has not yet begun.

Documents obtained by the MoS under the Freedom of Information Act detail the issues being faced, with strong criticisms of Pobal being made internally by department staff. An update on the scheme was emailed to the board of the ACS on March 1. The report criticises Pobal’s role in the project, mentioning ‘concerns in relation to Pobal’s capacity to deliver on the ACS systems developments… to date.’