Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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Question 283: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform when a decision will be made concerning funding for a centre (details supplied) under the equal opportunities child care programme; if his Department has received an application for such funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16009/05]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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The equal opportunities child care programme, EOCP, is a seven year development programme and provides grant assistance towards the staffing costs of community based and not-for-profit child care services which have a clear focus on disadvantage and can demonstrate they are supporting disadvantaged parents to access employment, education or training.

The group in question has received staffing grant assistance totalling €115,786 which covered the period to end July 2005. Staffing grants are normally made available for three years in the first instance. The Deputy may be aware that I approved the continuation of the existing levels of staffing grant assistance until 31 August 2005 for those groups whose first three years of funding had elapsed and which showed, following a short reassessment, that they were continuing to deliver child care services in accordance with agreed targets.

The Deputy may also be aware that I am extending to the end of December 2007 the terms of the existing staffing grants to groups which continue to deliver a child care service in accordance with their pre-agreed targets. To benefit from such funding the groups must continue to pay particular attention to the support of disadvantaged families and the implementation of a fee structure tailored to the differing economic circumstances of the client group, which ensures that child care places subsidised by the EOCP are targeted towards those most in need. Accordingly, if the group in question is continuing to deliver child care services in accordance with its pre-agreed targets and meets the criteria set out above, it can expect to continue to receive staffing grant support until the end of 2007.