Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy will be aware, I have responsibility for the National Childcare Strategy 2006-2010 which is comprised of a number of measures including the National Childcare Investment Programme 2006-2010 (NCIP), the National Childcare Training Strategy and the Early Childcare Supplement.

The NCIP is a key component of the National Childcare Strategy and has been allocated €575 million over 5 years, with a target to create 50,000 additional childcare places. The Programme which is Exchequer funded aims to provide a proactive response to the development of quality childcare supports and services which are grounded in an understanding of local needs. The priority for the Strategy is to further develop the childcare infrastructure to meet the needs of children and their parents for quality childhood care.

During 2007 the NCIP will continue to focus in particular on the provision of capital grant funding for community based and private sector childcare providers. At the end of May 2007 over €127.8 million in capital funding had been allocated under the NCIP and it is expected that approximately 18,300 new childcare places will be created as a result of this allocation. A further 1,500 expressions of interest in capital grant funding have been recorded and will be assessed at local level by the City and County Childcare Committees before being submitted for appraisal by Pobal and the Programme Appraisal Committee.

A commitment was given at the start of the NCIP to introduce a new support grant for community-based childcare services in January 2008 when the Equal Opportunities Childcare Programme 2000-2006 (EOCP) support grant scheme is due to end. A commitment was also given to announce details of the scheme in mid-2007 to avoid disruption to existing childcare services. Meeting these commitments has also been a key priority for the Childcare Directorate in my Office in 2007 and I hope to be in a position to announce details of the new support grant scheme in the coming weeks.

The Expert Advisory Group for the National Childcare Training Strategy was established in early 2007 and is supported by a number of representative sub-groups from across the sector. Its key priority in 2007 is to establish a strategic approach to planning for the training needs of the sector and present its findings by the end of this year. The other measures included in the broader remit of the National Childcare Strategy, including payment of the Early Childcare Supplement, will continue to be delivered throughout 2007.