Mary Upton (Dublin South Central, Labour)
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Question 169: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if she will ensure that the necessary funding and resources are put in place for a child care facility (details supplied) in Dublin 10; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30075/07]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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I have responsibility for the Equal Opportunities Childcare Programme 2000-2006 (EOCP) and the National Childcare Investment Programme 2006-2010 (NCIP), which are being implemented by the Office of the Minister for Children. The Group in question has been approved €1.16 million in capital grant assistance under the EOCP to date. A request for payment of the last instalment of €45,402 has been submitted by the Group. I understand from my inquiries that Pobal, which administers the day-to-day operation of the scheme, is awaiting outstanding information from the Group before payment can be made. The Group has requested additional capital funding under the EOCP. In September 2007 the Programme Appraisal Committee, having considered all the information available, agreed with the recommendation of Pobal that the level of funding approved to date per child care place had already exceeded the benchmark under the Programme of €24,000 per place. The Group was notified of this outcome. It was also approved a staffing grant of €74,750 in December 2006 of which the first instalment of €25,400 has been made. A similar amount should be received by the group some time next week. I understand that Pobal does not at this stage believe it is likely that all the funding approved will be spent and reported by the closure deadline of the EOCP, which is the end of December 2007. Transitional arrangements have been made under which existing EOCP staffing grant recipients will continue to be funded at their current levels until 1 July 2008, provided they enter the new Community Childcare Subvention Scheme by submitting the data required as part of the application process of the new scheme.