Gerard Murphy (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Question 136: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the funding which will be provided for staffing grants for child care services (details supplied) in County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16794/05]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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The Equal Opportunities Childcare Programme 2000-2006, EOCP, is a seven year development programme and provides grant assistance towards the staffing costs of community based not for profit child care services which have a clear focus on disadvantage and which can demonstrate that they are supporting disadvantaged parents to access employment, education or training. The Deputy may be aware that the group in question has been approved staffing grant assistance to date totalling €490,000 and this covers the period to the end of August 2005.

The Deputy may also be aware that I am now 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 and which ensures that child care places subsidised by the EOCP are targeted towards those most in need.