Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 45 and 60 together.

An allocation of €6.86 million was secured in budget 2018 for my Department's capital funding programme. As in 2017, this will be allocated to early years and school age child care capital projects. An official announcement on the specification of the capital programme for 2018 is due to be made in the coming week and will see the early years and school age capital programmes running concurrently. There also will be a continuation of the childminding development grant, CMDG.

Officials in my Department have listened to feedback from providers in developing the capital programme 2018. The result of this will be a programme that builds on previous successes while also ensuring an earlier, more efficient delivery than in 2017. Delivery this year was delayed by two factors, namely, the huge volume of applications from providers seeking to improve or expand their services and, second, the possibility of incorporating significant extra funding into the capital programme from savings made elsewhere in the Department. We have learned from the difficulties experienced by providers as a result of this delay.

Departmental officials have liaised with Pobal and with city and county child care committees, CCCs, in order to determine the focus, priorities and structure of the capital programme, with a specific view to opening applications early in 2018. This will allow for significantly earlier appraisal and notification processes than in previous years. It will also provide for sign-off on the commencement of capital works approved for funding early in the summer of 2018. This represents a significant improvement on the timeline achieved under this year's programme and will be of significant benefit to providers working hard to deliver quality affordable child care in Ireland.

As in previous years, I anticipate great demand for capital grant funding in 2018. The programme will assist in achieving providers' goals in terms of the improvement, maintenance and expansion of child care services, with a particular focus on where this is most needed. Following the announcement of the specifications of the programme in the coming days, child care providers should be encouraged to make contact with their local CCC to obtain guidance on capital applications and any other issues relating to their service.

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