Paul McGrath (Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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Question 372: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the amount of capital funding that has been allocated to child care facilities in 2005 in County Westmeath; the number of child care spaces that this represents; the additional resources for staffing that has been allocated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23288/05]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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I have approved 13 grants to date this year in County Westmeath, totalling almost €2.7 million, under the equal opportunities child care programme 2000-06. It is anticipated that this funding will lead to the creation of 143 new child care places and will support a further 231 existing places.

This funding includes €1,778,150 in capital grant assistance to four community-based not for profit groups, €825,900 in staffing grant assistance to five community-based not for profit projects, which will support the projects in question to the end of 2007 and €55,081 in capital grant assistance to two private sector child care projects.

This commitment supplements previous commitments of more than €5.5 million in capital funding and more than €2.5 million in staffing grant assistance previously allocated to County Westmeath. It is expected that more than 1,224 new child care places, including the places referred to previously, will be created thanks to EOCP investment in County Westmeath.

The Deputy may be aware that, following a detailed review of the existing staffing grants under the EOCP, I recently extended the terms of the grants to the end of December 2007, to groups which have received staffing grants for a period of three or more years and 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.

The Westmeath county child care committee received an allocation of €199,250 to deliver its annual action plan in 2005, while it receives an additional allocation of €20,000 to provide support services for child minders. In addition, child care services in County Westmeath may also benefit from support given to the national voluntary child care organisations to enhance quality awareness.