Denis Naughten (Longford-Roscommon, Fine Gael)

I thank the Acting Chairman and I want to thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle for providing me with the opportunity to raise this important matter.

The Kilronan parent and toddler group is currently in dire financial difficulty due to the uncertainty regarding the payment of a staffing grant under the Equal Opportunities Childcare Programme 2000-06. The group which has been in existence since March 2000, is largely run by volunteers. Members of the current committee all have children attending playschool and they receive no monetary reward for the hours they spend running the school. The current committee took over the running of the facility in July 2005 following an 18-month closure, and must not be judged on anything that happened prior to that date. It has run the facility since then without any funding on the generosity of the small, local, mainly rural, community.

The group has been in a school premises on which it has paid no rent as the income from fees goes towards the paying of staff. This in turn has a knock-on effect on the running of the adjoining primary school. The income is reduced as the group is not paying the agreed rent throughout the year.

After a long and protracted period the group received re-approval under the EOCP for €25,000 to provide a playground at the playschool, and I want to acknowledge and thank the Minister and the Department officials for sanctioning this funding. However, while it was successful in securing funding for the playground, the group has been refused a staffing grant which is now critical to the survival of the playschool.

What makes the current crisis so illogical, is that without staff, the playground will be redundant, and State funds will have been provided without children to utilise the new facility. The group now finds itself in the position that if it cannot secure a decision on the staffing grant, it will be forced to permanently close the playschool at Easter. It cannot keep up the fundraising efforts if it does not know whether there is a future for the playschool, and without a staffing grant, there is no future. The decision affects the 12 children at present using the playschool and a further pupil scheduled to start after Easter, as well as the two staff currently employed there.

It will also have an effect on a further 13 children to whom it was hoped to offer a second session in September, not to mention the parents of those who use the facility to avail of training and employment, and the children of St. Patrick's, the adjoining primary school. Since this particular committee took over the running of the playschool it has had only one late quarterly financial return for July-September 2006. The July-September return was a few weeks late as members of the committee had no previous experience with such returns. They had to make an appointment to see an accountant who explained what was required so that they could complete the returns.

This committee has given a commitment that it is willing to stay with the playschool voluntarily for the next three to five years. With almost two years experience running the school, paying PRSI, dealing with fire safety, insurance, HSE officials and knowledge of quarterly returns, it can ensure that all requirements set down by the Department are met. The programme appraisal committee and the Department are forcing the facility to close and I earnestly request that this vital service is maintained in this disadvantaged community, where it means so much.

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