SENATOR PAUL COGHLAN     

Seanad Government Chief Whip and Kerry Senator Paul Coghlan has welcomed the development that Community not-for-profit childcare providers will be exempt from commercial rates from early 2015.

An amendment has been introduced in the Seanad to the Valuation (Amendment)(No.2) Bill 2012 which means not-for-profit community childcare providers will be exempt from rates. This will be a major boost for community childcare providers.

Community childcare facilities provide an extremely important service to children and parents alike. This change will mean that up to 1,000 community childcare providers will no longer have to pay for commercial rates, representing 30% of the sector.

The Government supports childcare and early education providers in a number of ways, most significantly through the free pre-school year scheme. Exempting not-for-profit childcare facilities from rates will provide further assistance to these extremely important facilities that need any money they may have to support the service they provide.

Enactment will happen early in the New Year in 2015. I welcome the introduction of this amendment as I believe that it will make a real difference to the community childcare schemes that are so valuable in the community and I have made representations to the Minister in this regard.