Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)

As Deputies are aware, I have responsibility for child care under the newly established Office of the Minister for Children. I thank Deputy Neville for raising this matter.

Deputy Neville referred to particular groups in County Limerick who were approved capital grant assistance under the Equal Opportunities Childcare Programme 2000-2006. The programme has both an equal opportunities and social inclusion perspective. It aims to increase the supply of centre-based child care places by 55%, or 31,300 additional places, by the end of the programme. Current forecasts of impact suggest that it will ultimately create at least 40,000 new child care places, of which more than 26,000 are already in place. The allocation for the equal opportunities child care programme is now almost €500 million. As the Deputy is aware, the four child care projects to which he referred in his motion have been approved a total of €4.5 million in capital grant assistance.

Many child care services throughout Limerick city and county have benefited from grant assistance under the programme. To the end of December 2005, funding of more than €28 million was allocated for child care in Limerick city and county. This funding is leading to the creation of more than 1,700 new child care places and supporting almost 1,500 existing places throughout the city and county.

In the case of the community-based not-for-profit capital projects approved under the programme, the value for money criterion referred to by the Deputy which is being applied is that the maximum cost per place created should not normally exceed €20,000. Given the enormous sums being invested in child care facilities by the Government, and the ongoing and welcome development of new projects throughout the country, I am sure the Deputy will agree that there is an onus on us to ensure that value for money remains a key criterion to be used when assessing project proposals.

The four projects in question have been approved indicative amounts of funding, subject to further development of the proposals and external appraisal by a building specialist. All four groups have been in contact with and are receiving support from Limerick County Childcare Committee. They have met other groups in the area that have been approved indicative funding. I understand they are working together to reduce the costs of their projects. I further understand that Limerick County Childcare Committee has been supplied with a list of large-scale capital projects that have progressed within the €20,000 per child care place limit. There have been in excess of 200 large scale capital projects approved under the programme to date, all of which were subject to the value for money criterion. Applicants were able to provide child care places within the criterion, and in some cases for significantly less than the €20,000 maximum.

I also note that the amounts approved to the four projects in question are at the higher end of the scale in terms of large-scale capital grants approved, varying from €1 million to €1.4 million. Only 24 groups nationally have been approved a capital grant in the region of €1.4 million or more. Deputies will appreciate that if the benefits of the programme are to be felt throughout the country, it is important that funding is not concentrated on a small number of projects and that a national and regional spread of approvals is achieved to meet local needs.

I understand that one of the groups in question is in a position to proceed soon. I hope the current contacts with Pobal will allow the groups to agree revised plans in the not too distant future. It is open to any group to formally appeal the level of funding approved. However, I am not aware that any of the groups in question has done so to date. I hope contact will be maintained with Pobal to ensure these projects become sustainable.

It is only fair to emphasise that the child care programme has been central to the development of child care in Ireland. I expect the new national child care investment programme, which will run from 2006 to 2010, and which was announced in this House by the Minister, Deputy Cowen, in his Budget Statement last December, will be equally effective.

The Government is taking a serious and long-term approach to child care by developing sound policies and substantial programmes of investment which will ensure the future welfare of our children and assist their parents in their daily lives. The Government has fully demonstrated its commitment in this regard and it is my intention to demonstrate my personal commitment to these issues during my term as Minister with responsibility for children.

The two Senators from the west Limerick area raised the matter in the Seanad this afternoon. Deputy Cregan has also raised the matter with me. I will examine it to see how progress can be made.

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