Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The Minister mentioned the issue of pre-payments from the Child and Family Agency and his Department. Is it possible for the Minister to visit the Jigsaw centre and work with Ms Kelda Barnes and her staff to examine all possible ways the project can continue throughout 2014? Everybody is thinking of the global changes that must be made in budgetary spending and the need for a much more expansive approach from next year. In that context, the core point facing the Minister and the centre is to get through 2014 and then to have a proper budgetary consideration for 2015.

A few days ago I asked the Minister's predecessor about the after-school child care initiative for which €14 million was allocated and under which only 42 children have been allocated places so far. Some funding could be available in the Department that could be the core element in keeping the project open and working successfully to the end of the year. It is the linchpin in many aspects of Darndale-Belcamp parish and the wider area. The success of children going on to finish second level education and the growing success of people going on to third level is all based on what the crèche does.

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