Government's free childcare service cost €5.2 million last year

The government forked out a total of €5.2 million on its free childcare scheme during 2014, Education Minister Bartolo revealed.

Responding to a parliamentary question raised by Labour backbencher Anthony Agius Decelis, Bartolo said that 3,857 children have benefitted from this scheme between April and December 2014.

“It is currently impossible to ascertain how many families have benefitted from this scheme,” Bartolo said. “Applications are processed manually and every application is considered on an individual basis. The Education Department is in the process of implementing a digital ‘Childcare Information System’ and one of its functions will be to find out how many families are benefitting from this scheme.” 

The provision of free childcare services for families where parents are either studying or working was an electoral pledge that came into force in April 2014.