Michael McCarthy (Cork South West, Labour)
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Question 167: To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will advise on possible funding streams available to a child care facility (details supplied); her views on where it can source additional funding; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11809/12]

Noel Harrington (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 168: To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will identify possible sources of additional funding for a community group (details supplied ) available from her Department and or any of the agencies funded by her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11769/12]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 167 and 168 together.

The Government currently supports the provision of early childhood care and education through three support programmes - the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme, the Community Childcare Subvention (CCS) programme and the Childcare Education and Training Support (CETS) programme. These programmes are implemented by my Department.

The service referred to is participating in two of the aforementioned programmes.

Under the Community Childcare Subvention (CCS) programme, which supports community-based childcare services, enabling them to provide childcare at reduced rates to disadvantaged and low income families, funding of €10,569 for the academic year 2011/12 has been approved for this service. This funding is based on the income profile of the parents and the level of service provided to their children .

The service is also participating in the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme providing a pre-school year to all eligible children in the year before commencing primary school. This service has received capitation funding of €13,932 to date to provide for the first 27 weeks of the school year 2011/2012 with a further payment due at the end of March, which will provide for the remaining 11 weeks of the school year.

My Department also implements the Childcare Education and Training Support (CETS) programme. The purpose of the CETS programme is to support parents on eligible FÁS and VEC courses by providing free childcare places to them. There is an opportunity for all services that provide full day care to participate in this programme. Also afterschools which are open all year round are eligible to apply. However, I understand that the service referred to by the Deputy does not currently offer the type of service required for eligibility for the CETS programme.

In December 2011, the Government announced a new National Childcare Investment Programme (NCIP) Capital Funding 2012 grant. This grant will provide capital funding of €6m this year to both community and private childcare providers currently participating in one or more of the above funding programmes: CCS programme; CETS programme and ECCE programme. The funding is available for small maintenance/renovation work or equipment and the maximum grant available to qualifying applicants is €50,000.

Funding of €250,000 has been allocated under the Parent and Toddler initiative for 2012 and the City/County Childcare Committees will administer this funding on behalf of my Department.

There is no further funding available to my Department to support childcare services at this time.