John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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Question 202: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the status of an application for funding in the name of a company (details supplied) in County Carlow for the provision of an upgraded outdoor play area; the timeframe for the decision; and if a decision will be expedited. [13808/05]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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I understand that a third application for capital grant assistance under the Equal Opportunities Childcare Programme, EOCP, 2000-2006, was submitted by this group to my Department some time ago.

The group in question was approved for EOCP capital grant assistance of almost €54,000 in 2001 and a further capital grant of €410,000 in 2002. The group appealed this latter amount and was awarded an additional amount of almost €24,000 in 2003 bringing its total capital allocation to over €488,000. The group submitted a further request for over €99,000 in additional capital funding in autumn 2004. This group has also been awarded staffing grant assistance of €362,949 under the EOCP to date. The additional capital grant application is under appraisal by Area Development Management Limited, ADM. ADM has been in dialogue with the group and is awaiting additional information from the group to advance the appraisal process.

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 2005-09, in the context of the 2005 budget.

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 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 capital grant assistance available to groups which can show that they address significant child care service gaps and where the project proposal represents good value for money when considered in relation to the guidelines on building costs. In the light of this, the group in question was advised in December 2004 that, whilst its project had not been prioritised for immediate funding at that stage, it will be reconsidered for possible support in the future. When the assessment on the project in question is completed, the application will then be considered by the programme appraisal committee, chaired by my Department, before I make a final decision. In the interim, it would be premature of me to comment further on this application.