Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

The Department works with Pobal and local childcare committees to offer case management supports to services in difficulty. Through this process, services may also access sustainability funding following an assessment of need. One strand of this funding can support a service with the cost of relocation. Pobal and Donegal County Childcare Committee are in communication with Ardara Community Childcare regarding the issue of defective blocks and these supports. In the first instance Donegal County Childcare Committee will assist the service in trying to source a suitable alternative location. If a suitable alternative location is sourced, the Department will engage with Pobal and the childcare committee regarding the service and assist in funding a relocation through the case management process. A new strand of emergency capital for fit-out and renovation of premises or necessary maintenance is being developed by the Department. The purpose of this funding will be to support the completion of essential, emergency capital works in community early learning and care and school-age childcare settings that are core funding partner services. Eligible services will be those that are unable to afford the costs of remedial works necessary to ensure the service meets its regulatory requirements and remains financially viable in the long term. The service will submit a rationale for the need and provide evidence of need and eligibility for the funding. It is anticipated that this capital funding will be used to provide support to eligible service providers that are unable to afford the costs of essential remedial works. This includes critical fire safety works and emergency capital projects, both internal and external.

As we know, the safety of children and staff is paramount, and the Department has been assured that this service will have inspections from engineers annually. The service will not be able to operate if it is deemed unsafe to do so. The Department will continue to engage with Pobal, local childcare committees and services in order to support services that have been affected by mica. This is a unique situation, and each service will need to be supported on an individual basis. The Department has recognised the need to have a capital funding stream to deal with emergency situations such as the one Deputy Doherty outlined and the one Deputy Barry has raised in north Cork. This is a strand of funding we are devising to be ready to meet these particular needs. It is a new strand of funding and that is a clear recognition of need in situations like this.

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