Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 168: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the funding which will become available in the near future for child care facilities under the Equal Opportunities Childcare Programme 2000-2006. [7389/05]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The Equal Opportunities Childcare Programme, EOCP, 2000-2006 is a seven year development programme which aims to increase the availability and quality of child care 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 to 2009, in the context of the 2005 budget.

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 child care service gaps and where the project proposal represents good value for money when considered in the context of the current guidelines on building costs. I hope to make further significant capital commitments during 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.