David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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Question 206: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the child care projects, play groups and child care schemes that are currently funded in County Cork through the equal opportunities child care programme; the amount being made available to each; if and when current funding for any of these is to come to an end; the procedures in place for renewal of funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7266/05]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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During summer 2004 my Department published a comprehensive review of progress under the equal opportunities child care programme 2000-06 entitled Developing Childcare In Ireland. The document was circulated to all Members of the Oireachtas and was also posted on the Department's website. Much of the information the Deputy is seeking, up to the end of 2003, is included in this report.

It is intended in future to update these statistics twice yearly. The first such update, which will cover the period up to end of 2004, is expected to become available over the summer of 2005 and will be posted on the Department's website as well as being circulated to interested parties, including Members of the Oireachtas.

The overall position as regards County Cork is that up to the end of February 2005 I approved 269 grants, totalling €30.2 million, in respect of capital, staffing and quality improvement projects across the county. It is anticipated that this funding will lead to the creation of over 3,400 new child care places and will support a further 3,100 existing places. This funding includes: over 60 capital grants for community-based or not-for-profit groups which were approved funding of €13.4 million; over 80 community-based or not-for-profit projects which have received staffing funding of over €10 million; over 60 grants to private sector child care projects which have been approved for funding of €2.1 million; funding for Cork city and county child care committees to enable them to carry out their day-to-day activities and to deliver on their respective action plans. To date, over €1.6 million has been made available for that purpose.

Regarding the renewal of funding to projects, as the Deputy may be aware, the equal opportunities child care programme provides staffing grants to any community-based or not-for-profit child care services which can demonstrate a clear focus on disadvantage. Usually three years funding is provided under the programme to enable those projects to move towards self-sustainability. There will, of course, because of the nature of the families and communities that some of these services are supporting, always be a need for grant-aid for many of the groups that the programme is already supporting.

In that respect my Department is currently reviewing the arrangements for the ongoing support of such services in very disadvantaged areas and plans to introduce new arrangements for funding groups for which the three-year funding envelope or any subsequent continuation funding becomes exhausted by 31 August 2005. Information regarding the introduction of those new arrangements, which will be effective from 1 September 2005, will be forwarded to the groups in question as soon as it is available.

The relevant groups have been informed that their staffing funding will be continued at existing levels up to 31 August 2005, subject to the groups delivering their agreed levels of child care service provision.