Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 424: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if funding is available for staffing purposes from his Department for a privately run crèche and pre-school (details supplied) in County Mayo. [27092/04]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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As the Deputy may be aware, the equal opportunities childcare programme 2000-2006 is a seven year development strategy which is funded through the two regional operational programmes of the national development plan. The programme makes capital grant assistance available to community-based not-for-profit child care groups and to private providers to create new and enhanced child care facilities as well as providing grant assistance towards the staffing costs of community based not-for-profit based child care services that have a clear focus on disadvantage.

The conditions under which staffing funding can be made available to child care services are clearly set out in the guidelines to the programme and in the programme complements of the two regional operational programmes and as such this stream of funding is only available to the community and voluntary sector under the rules of the programme. In the circumstances, it is not open to privately constituted child care facilities to apply for funding under the staffing strand of the equal opportunities childcare programme.