Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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I thank the Leas-Cheann Chomhairle for giving me the opportunity to raise this urgent issue, namely, the funding crisis at the Darndale-Belcamp integrated child care service in Darndale, Dublin 17. Last week I had the honour of being brought around this excellent service by Barbara Quinlan, who is a board member, and by Kelda Barnes, who is the centre's manager. I was immediately impressed by their top class service, their quality care, their professionalism and their commitment to 260 children from the local community.

It is important that the Minister hears this and that the Dáil knows about the valuable work taking place at the Darndale-Belcamp integrated child care service. This service was opened in January 2001, and initially the plan was for a maximum of 150 children aged from birth to 12 years of age, with playrooms, a kitchen, a dining area and sleeping rooms. Over the years, the centre has evolved into becoming the largest crèche in the country, and it now caters daily for 260 children, 90% of whom are from the immediate area of Darndale, Belcamp and Moatview. This is a recognised area of disadvantage and also includes a large Traveller community. One sixth of the children attending are Travellers and the centre employs one core staff member and eight community employment participants from the Traveller community. This is an area of severe deprivation. Addiction, unemployment, crime and, most recently, gun crime are part of their children's everyday lives. In 2011, 11 of the centre's children lost a parent to drugs or suicide. In 2012, a child in the centre's toddler room was held in his father's arms while his father was shot, and in 2013 the centre referred children to a social work team due to concerns about domestic violence and possible neglect or abuse. Forty of the children have direct links to the HSE social network, the public health nurse, the speech therapist, the CRC, St. Michael's House or to Temple Street hospital. Currently, 25 of the centre's children attend its project work for issues, including speech and language delay, attachment, domestic violence, learning disabilities and behaviour. This shows the valuable work that is going on in the centre.

The centre now has almost 100 staff members, with 45 core staff and the remainder being made of community employment, Tús participants, JobsPlus staff members, relief staff and volunteers. The centre no longer uses the HSE pay scale for the 45 core staff, as it is unable to afford the benchmarking payments and has introduced a 3% pay cut. The starting salary for core child care staff is €24,263, so there is no big deal in that. The centre has worked hard to improve the quality of the early years service it provides. It has achieved the Síolta award in 2013 and it is now participating in Aistear along with eight other centres in the area. This centre strives for quality and is a vital community support for the children and families. It feeds into the wonderful work done by the Preparing for Life team and the local DEIS schools.

The bottom line is that the centre needs €100,000 because it has run out of cash reserves, but it also needs an additional €200,000 per annum to stay open. I am talking about 260 children and €100,000 to keep this centre open. I urge the Minister of State to listen carefully to my submission and support this excellent centre.

Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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I thank Deputy McGrath for raising this very important issue. I am aware of the integrated child care service at Darndale-Belcamp, and as he rightly informed the House, it is a terrific centre and the work it does in that community is much regarded, not just locally but also as a pilot for communities in other parts of the city and country. I apologise that the Minister, Deputy Fitzgerald, is unable to take this matter in the House today, but she asked me to convey the following information to the Deputy McGrath.

The Department of Children and Youth Affairs has a significant investment, totalling more than €260 million, to support the child-care programmes. This means that close to 68,000 children benefit annually from child care places as a consequence of the expenditure of that money. Despite the challenging budgetary situation, the Minister has succeeded in maintaining the preschool year as a universal and free programme, ensuring a significant number of children can avail of quality preschool services who would not otherwise be in a position to do so.

The Darndale-Belcamp integrated child care service was established in January 2001. Since that time the centre has evolved into the largest crèche in the country, catering for some 260 children daily. Of these, 90% are from the immediate areas of Darndale, Belcamp and Moatview. These areas are recognised as areas of severe disadvantage and include a large number from the Traveller community. Almost one sixth of the children attending are from the Traveller community, and one core staff member and eight community employment participants currently working in the centre are from the Traveller community. This is a welcome contribution that the community is making towards the success of the crèche.

The centre has a total of almost 100 staff with 45 core staff, and the remaining staff comprises community employment and Tús participants, JobsPlus staff members, relief staff and volunteers. The centre's income in 2013 was €1.959 million and its expenditure in 2013 was €2.022 million. The deficit for the 2013 was €62,508. The main income for the year was derived from a number of sources and the centre has annual service level agreements with its three main funding agencies, namely, the Child and Family Agency, FÁS and Pobal. Funding for this centre has been maintained, which is provided by the Department under the early childhood care and education free preschool year programme, or ECCE, and the community childcare subvention programme, or CCS, which supports low income and disadvantaged families with child care costs. To date in this school year, funding totalling €35,500 has been paid under the ECCE programme. Funding of €98,600 has also been approved under the CCS programme.

I wish to assure the Deputy that every effort will be made to ensure the situation is dealt with. We understand there is a difficulty in the balance that is required. Agency funding to the centre will be reviewed to identify efficiencies, and the impact in services resulting from a 2.8% reduction in agency funding last year and this year.

The payment is being facilitated in order for a more comprehensive and detailed analysis to be completed so as to arrive at a long-term funding solution involving all the stakeholders.

Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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I thank the Minister of State for his response. I hope I am pushing an open door considering his statement that he hopes every effort will be made to ensure the matter is dealt with.

The project is excellent, which the Minister of State accepts. Having been involved in education, I take his point. If the project is closed, vulnerable children will be put at risk immediately. The issue of underachievement must be borne in mind. In some cases, many of the children in question are taken into care. It is important, therefore, that the project be kept open. A key strength of the project is that 60% of the staff are from the immediate locality. If it were an IDA project, we would all be jumping up and down over this.

Let me return to the issue that the Minister of State mentioned, namely, the identification of efficiencies. I have talked to Barbara Quinlan and Kelda Barnes, the manager. By God, they are well able to run the organisation efficiently and professionally.

Historically, the HSE has paid for a manager, deputy manager, part-time cook, part-time cleaner and seven full-time child care staff members, and it has funded 90% of the operating costs associated with the 40 FTE children. However, since 2008 the funding has decreased annually, from €453,744 to €353,784. This no longer fully supports the named staff salaries and no funding is available to meet operational costs as a consequence. I have submitted the figures to the Minister already. It is important that the service be retained.

I appeal to the Minister of State, Deputy Brian Hayes, and the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Deputy Frances Fitzgerald, really to focus on this project, think of the 260 children and the 100 local jobs that are making a valuable contribution to the broader society. The Minister of State should do his best to ensure the centre gets the funding necessary to keep it open.

Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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The Minister with responsibility in this area, Deputy Frances Fitzgerald, is well aware of the issues the Deputy has raised. As I stated in my previous presentation, the gap last year between expenditure and income was approximately €62,000. That has to be plugged. The lead agency in bringing together other agencies is the Child and Family Agency. FÁS, Pobal and the HSE will all be brought around the table to determine whether we can identify how the deficit can be plugged in circumstances where there have been reductions across the board, as I fully accept. It is crucial that the service remain for the children and, as the Deputy rightly said, the excellent staff who provide such a wonderful service to them. The Minister is fully briefed on this matter and that is why she has asked the Child and Family Agency to bring all the funders together to determine whether we can work this problem out. The sum of money in question is not huge and I very much expect and hope that the problem will be resolved sooner rather than later.