Written answers

Thursday, 27 January 2005

Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform

Grant Aid

5:00 pm

Photo of Michael NoonanMichael Noonan (Limerick East, Fine Gael)
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Question 176: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he will meet with a delegation from a centre (details supplied) in County Limerick to discuss appropriate grant aid from his Department to fund the construction of a new resource centre; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2257/05]

Photo of Michael McDowellMichael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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I understand that applications for capital and staffing grant assistance under the Equal Opportunities Childcare Programme — EOCP — 2000-2006, were submitted by the group to my Department some time ago. The EOCP is a seven-year development programme which aims to increase the availability and quality of childcare to support parents in employment, education and training.

The level of demand for capital grant assistance was such that I considered it important to increase the capital provision for the present programme. Following discussions with my colleague, the Minister for Finance, an additional capital provision of €90 million was made available over the period 2005-09, in the context of the budget in 2004.

Of this amount, €50 million is being made available under the present programme and the remaining €40 million will flow under the next phase of the post 2006 EOCP. This augments the increased EU funding of some €12 million made available last year in recognition of the progress of the programme. This brings the total funding available for the programme to €499.3 million and now includes an increased provision for capital developments for which €205 million has been set aside. In December 2004, I announced an allocation of almost €35 million in capital funding to community based not for profit groups.

The availability of the additional capital funding will enable me to make further capital grant assistance available over the coming months and years to groups which address significant childcare service gaps and where the project proposal represents good value for money. In the light of this, the group in question has been advised that while their project had not been prioritised for immediate funding in December 2004, it will be reconsidered in the future, and that I hope to make further significant capital commitments during 2005 and thereafter.

The ongoing appraisal of the applications in the pipeline will be concluded as speedily as possible to facilitate the development of additional child care facilities and places at the earliest opportunity. When the appraisal is completed on the project in question, the application will then be considered by the programme appraisal committee, PAC, chaired by my Department, before I make a final decision. In the interim, it would be premature of me to comment further on these applications for funding.

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