Issues concerning childcare and employment for families of children with disabilities or special needs have been in the spotlight this week.

The Stormont Junior Ministers Jonathan Bell and Martina Anderson have attended the launch of a new report from the body, Employers for Childcare.

Entitled 'Childcare for All?' the report highlights the issues involved with the Sinn Fein Junior Minister Anderson commenting: "Childcare is an issue of great concern for many women considering returning to work and, the issue is compounded when one considers the added difficulty of having to find appropriate childcare for a child with a disability or special need.

"However, childcare is not just an issue for mothers.

"Our department intends to take forward a number of priority action areas detailed in the Child Poverty Strategy - childcare is one of those areas, and an important one."

Addressing wider issues concerning people with disabilities Ms Anderson (pictured) added: "The way forward involves meaningful consultation on what needs to be done to address issues facing people with disabilities and how the public sector can deliver.

"Together we can improve the opportunities available to all our people, regardless of age, gender or disability," she concluded.

The DUP's Mr Bell welcomed the report as a useful contribution to the debate around the development of the childcare strategy: "Part of our role is to support and promote issues concerning children and young people. We look forward to examining this report's findings and conclusions in detail over the coming days.

"We have a clear understanding of the scale of the problem – put simply, there is currently not enough provision, and that provision which does exist is not sufficiently affordable.

"I believe we have the opportunity to put in place a system which can fundamentally change the face of childcare provision across Northern Ireland in a sustainable way," he said.

"Childcare must go beyond simply providing a safe place to go while parents are at work.

"Through children's self-esteem, ambition, and lifelong development we can break the cycle of poverty of disadvantage and disengagement from one generation to the next."

See: Childcare Costs Force Poor Out Of Work

(BMcC/GK)