Written answers

Tuesday, 1 March 2005

Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform

Child Care Services

9:00 pm

Breeda Moynihan-Cronin (Kerry South, Labour)
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Question 325: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if the criteria used to assess childcare groups for staffing have been or are to be changed; the meaning of references in recent correspondence to such groups that certain centres will be expected to be financially viable after 31 August 2005; if reductions are to made in staffing grants to such groups; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6888/05]

Photo of Bernard AllenBernard Allen (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 331: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the reason groups currently receiving funding towards the staffing costs of childcare facilities under the equal opportunities childcare programme are having their grant assistance terminated on 31 August 2005; and if he will reconsider the decision in view of the impact that this cut in grant aid will have on many communities, especially those in disadvantaged areas. [7020/05]

Photo of Michael McDowellMichael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 325 and 331 together.

As the Deputies may be aware the equal opportunities childcare programme, EOCP, provides grant assistance towards the staffing costs of community based not-for-profit childcare services which have a clear focus on disadvantage.

Funding under the staffing measure of the EOCP is only made available to help support the staffing costs of those projects which can demonstrate that they are providing childcare in areas of significant disadvantage and that they are supporting disadvantaged parents to access employment, education or training. It was not intended that the EOCP will meet the full costs of running a service. The programme makes staffing grant assistance available for a period of usually three years to enable them to move towards self sustainability, which would normally be achieved when the service is operating at capacity and with an appropriate fee structure.

In a number of services the levels of disadvantage among parents are such that the families would be unable to pay economic fees and therefore those services are likely to require ongoing State support towards their staffing costs. My Department is currently reviewing the arrangements for the ongoing support of such services in very disadvantaged areas and plans to introduce new arrangements to support those services in cases where they will have received staffing grant assistance for three or more years at any date prior to 31 August 2005. Information regarding the introduction of these new arrangements will be forwarded to the groups in question as soon as it is available.

The relevant groups have been informed that their existing level of staffing grant assistance funding will be continued up to 31 August 2005, subject to the groups maintaining their forecast levels of service and meeting the targets they had previously agreed. The amounts awarded are deemed sufficient to enable the groups to maintain their approved level of service and to give them an opportunity to review their services and their fee structures.

In the interim, it would be premature of me to comment further on future staffing grant assistance.

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