Breeda Moynihan-Cronin (Kerry South, Labour)
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I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle for the opportunity to raise this important issue, namely, the need for capital funding under the equal opportunities childcare programme for child care centres in Ventry, Lispole and Ballyferriter in the Dingle area of County Kerry.

In 2002, the Kerry county child care committee strategic plan 2002 to 2006, which secured approval from the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, identified west Kerry as an area in need of substantial development of its child care services. The three areas seeking funding are Lispole, Ventry and Ballyferriter and the child care committees of the three villages have come together under the umbrella of Coiste Curama Leanaí Chorcha Dhuibhne to co-ordinate their campaign for funding. On 16 December last the Department refused funding to Coiste Forbharta Fionn Trá in Ventry, a significant blow to the local community following a major fundraising drive locally.

The locality has a crying need for a child care centre. The existing pre-school facility, which has been in place since 1979, is in a community hall which is neither suitable nor appropriate for such a facility. Coiste Forbharta Fionn Trá has appealed the decision to the Department and I implore the Minister to award it funding.

Lispole and Ballyferriter child care committees await decisions on their applications, which were submitted to the Department in December 2003. Both communities went to great lengths to acquire sites for the construction of child care centres. For 18 months, however, ADM Ltd., which administers the funding, has led them from pillar to post with their applications and there is growing concern that the available sites may be in jeopardy if a positive outcome does not emerge from the Department soon.

At present, the facilities in Ballyferriter, a pre-school centre which caters for only 16 children, are wholly inadequate in an area of expanding population. In Lispole, the pre-school centre is located in a community hall which is subject to regular flooding.

Between Ventry, Ballyferriter and Lispole the Coiste Curama Lianaí Chorcha Dhuine intended to provide 155 child care places in their communities. The three child care committees in west Kerry, with which I met recently, believe they are being treated unfairly and strung along with questions and queries from the Department. The groups have received letters from ADM Limited. questioning aspects of their application and asking them to submit and resubmit and fill and refill forms. Then, faceless people in the Department who have never seen the position on the ground adjudicate on their applications. They are concerned that, given that the information the Department and ADM Limited. sought has already been provided, the Department is engaged in a time wasting exercise.

The three groups in question estimate it requires up to 1,000 volunteer man-hours to prepare an application for funding for child care facilities and do not believe this effort has been recognised or rewarded. Is the reason for the strict more unfair criteria the Department applied to the administration of funding under the equal opportunities childcare programme due to a decline in the amount of money available under the programme? Groups such as those in west Kerry, which found it difficult to acquire sites when the EOCP funding first became available and was plentiful are suffering now that the pot of money is drying up.

Will the Minister give an assurance that funding will be made available to the child care groups in west Kerry that have done all that was asked of them? If the Government is committed to the provision of child care services, their applications for funding should be approved.

As I have stated in the House on previous occasions when discussing staffing grants the Government attempted to remove from child care centres as of this September, the State must play a role in funding the provision of adequate and appropriate child care services. We cannot in future rely solely on capital funding from the European Union. I appeal to the Minister to fund three vital child care centres in Lispole, Ballyferriter and Ventry. The amount of money involved is relatively small and no less than the communities, parents and children of the area deserve.

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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I thank the Deputy for affording me the opportunity to update the House on the important issue of child care. I reject the suggestion that I attempted to withdraw funding from any groups.

Breeda Moynihan-Cronin (Kerry South, Labour)
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I did not suggest the Minister withdrew it.

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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The Deputy said I attempted to withdraw it.

Breeda Moynihan-Cronin (Kerry South, Labour)
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I did not.

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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She should check the record.

Breeda Moynihan-Cronin (Kerry South, Labour)
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The Minister attempted to withdraw staffing grants.

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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The Deputy just said it again.

Breeda Moynihan-Cronin (Kerry South, Labour)
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He withdrew funding for staffing and then changed his mind. He did another U-turn under pressure.

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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That is not so. The equal opportunities childcare programme is the Government's key response to the need to develop child care to support the child care needs of parents, with a particular emphasis on those who may be in employment or education or training to prepare for employment. The programme aims to increase the supply of centre based child care places by 55% at its conclusion.

Since the equal opportunities childcare programme was launched in 2000, the funding package has been increased on a number of occasions to match increased demands to develop this important sector. The Government is aware of the importance of providing child care to support the economy and social inclusion through labour market participation. It has made additional capital funding available immediately to build on the momentum generated by the programme in community groups throughout the country, rather than await a follow on programme under a new national development plan.

The original funding package of €318 million allocated for the seven year programme in 2000 has increased to slightly more than €499 million and includes increased provision for capital developments for which €205 million has been allocated. This figure includes part of the additional capital provision of €90 million made available by the Minister for Finance, Deputy Cowen, in budget 2005 over the period 2005-09 to develop child care infrastructure. Far from decreasing the amount of funding available, it has been increased as late as the most recent budget.

Since budget 2005, I have announced a record allocation of some €67 million in capital funding for community based not for profit groups in two tranches, one in December 2004 and another on 4 March 2005, bringing the total amount committed under the programme to date to more than €395 million. This funding will lead to the creation of more than 36,000 new child care places, of which 24,600 have already been completed.

I am aware that capital grant applications for funding under the Equal Opportunities Childcare Programme 2000-06 are with my Department from groups in County Kerry, including Aonad Óige an Fhirtéaraigh, Ballyferriter, Comhlacht Óige Lispóil Teoranta and Coiste Forbharta Fionn Trá from Ventry. The availability of the additional capital funding allocated in budget 2005 will enable me to make further capital grant assistance available to groups that address significant child care service gaps, where the project proposal represents good value for money. In light of this, Aonad Óige an Fhirtéaraigh and Comhlacht Óige Lispóil Teoranta were advised in December 2004 that, while their projects had not been prioritised for immediate funding, they will be reconsidered in future.

I hope to make further capital commitments in 2005 and, thereafter, to child care projects which link clearly with the aims of the programme, are sustainable, offer value for money and can clearly demonstrate that they would fill a clear service gap in their local area.

In December 2004 the programme appraisal committee appraised an application for capital grant assistance from Coiste Forbharta Fionn Trá Teoranta in Ventry. The appraisal process raised concerns about the range of services being offered by the proposed service and its long-term sustainability. As a result, it was not recommended for capital grant assistance. The group has recently appealed this decision. Following receipt of an appeal in the child care directorate of my Department, Area Development Management Ltd., which is engaged to assess all applications for funding on my behalf, is requested to re-assess the application in light of any additional information which may be supplied by the group in support of its application. When this reassessment is complete, the application will then be considered further by the programme appraisal committee chaired by my Department. The group will be informed of the outcome in due course.

Efforts are being made to achieve a good geographical spread through the appraisal and approvals process. Almost € 17.4 million has been approved for County Kerry under the child care programme, with 52 capital grants approved to establish either new or quality enhanced community-based not-for-profit or private child care facilities. The county has also benefited from 47 staffing grants to groups which have a focus on disadvantage. This funding to child care providers in Kerry is leading to the creation of over 1,700 new child care places and to the support of over 1,000 existing places. Kerry County Childcare Committee also receives annual funding to support its developmental work. The levels of support going to County Kerry under the equal opportunities child care programme compare very positively with other counties in the southern and eastern regions.

Breeda Moynihan-Cronin (Kerry South, Labour)
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There is nothing in west Kerry.

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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When the assessments on the outstanding projects in Kerry are completed, the applications will be considered by the programme appraisal committee, chaired by my Department, before I make a decision on each case.

In addition, the Deputy may be aware that I have recently approved the continuation to the end of December 2007 of staffing grant assistance for all groups whose first three year funding has elapsed unless the level of service being offered has declined significantly below that which they had originally undertaken to deliver. The extension of the duration of funding follows a review of the services in question and is conditional on the services continuing to meet the objectives of the equal opportunities child care programme and the conditions set down within their contracts with ADM.

It is fair to emphasise that the equal opportunities child care programme has been central to the development of child care in Ireland. I hope that Deputy Moynihan-Cronin will acknowledge the progress made to date in Kerry and will be reassured that all possible steps are being taken to further develop the child care service throughout the county to meet local need.