Written answers

Thursday, 24 February 2005

Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform

Child Care Services

5:00 pm

Photo of Cecilia KeaveneyCecilia Keaveney (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)
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Question 149: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the position in relation to a centre (details supplied) in County Donegal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6382/05]

Photo of Michael McDowellMichael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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I understand that an application for capital grant assistance under the equal opportunities child care programme was submitted by the group to the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform some time ago. The programme is a seven-year development programme that aims to increase the availability and quality of child care to support parents in employment, education and training.

As there is a high level of demand for capital grant assistance, I considered it important to increase the capital provision for the current programme. Following discussions with my colleague, the Minister for Finance, an additional capital provision of €90 million was made available for the period between 2005 and 2009, in the context of the 2005 budget. Some €50 million is being made available under the current programme and €40 million will be made available under the next phase of the child care programme after 2006. The funds augment the increased EU funding of €12 million made available last year in recognition of the programme's progress. That brings the total funding available for the programme to €499.3 million and 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 and not-for-profit groups. The availability of the additional funding will enable me to make further capital grant assistance available in the coming months and years to groups which address significant child care service gaps, if the project proposal represents good value for money when considered in the context of building cost guidelines. In that light, the group in question has been advised that while its project was not prioritised for immediate funding in December 2004, it will be reconsidered in the future. It was informed that I hope to make further significant capital commitments in 2005 and thereafter.

The ongoing assessment 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 assessment of the project in question is completed, the application will be considered by the programme appraisal committee, which is chaired by the Department of Agriculture and Food, before I make a final decision. In the interim, it would be premature of me to comment further on the application.

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