Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 503: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the action he proposes to take to provide adequate child care facilities in the west Kerry peninsula; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9130/05]

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

To date, I have approved 123 grants in County Kerry, totalling more than €16.5 million, in respect of capital, staffing and quality improvement projects, under the equal opportunities child care programme, EOCP 2000-06. It is anticipated that this funding will lead to the creation of 1,716 new child care places and will support a further 1,024 existing places. This funding includes: almost €7.8 million in capital grant assistance to 29 community-based or not-for-profit groups; over €6.7 million in staffing grant assistance to 59 community-based or not-for-profit projects; €752,531 in capital grant assistance for 22 private sector child care projects; and over €1.2 million to the Kerry county child care committee to enable the committee to carry out its day-to-day activities and to implement its child care action plans. Of the €16.5 million approved, approvals to the west Kerry region include over €2 million in the Killarney area; €3.5 million in the Tralee area; over €544,000 in the Cahirciveen area; and over €85,000 for two private providers in the Dingle area.

The Deputy will find details of all grants awarded by county to the end of 2003 in Developing Childcare in Ireland, which I sent to all TDs and Senators in mid 2004. I expect to circulate an update in the summer of 2005. 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 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. Since budget 2005, I have announced a record allocation totalling almost €68 million in capital funding to community-based or not-for-profit groups in two tranches, one in December 2004 and another on 4 March 2005.

The availability of the additional capital funding will enable me to make further capital grant assistance available to groups which address significant child care service gaps and where the project proposal represents good value for money when considered in relation to the current guidelines on building costs. In the light of this, a number of groups in the west Kerry area were advised in December 2004 that while their projects had not been prioritised for immediate funding at that stage, they would be reconsidered in the future. I hope to make further significant capital commitments during the remainder of 2005 and thereafter.

The ongoing assessment of all 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 on the applications submitted by groups in west Kerry area is completed, they will then be considered by the programme appraisal committee, chaired by my Department, before I make a final decision.