Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 113: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the basis on which the capital grant towards the cost of the provision of nursery child care facilities for children with acute disadvantages has been set at €26,000; if he will review this in view of the rising cost of construction of appropriate facilities in this field; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32863/07]

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy will be aware, 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 NCIP came into effect from 1 January 2006, with an allocation of €575 million for the 5 year period of 2006 to 2010, some €357 million is earmarked for capital investment. The NCIP is a key element of the National Childcare Strategy 2006-2010, the aim of which is to deliver a more comprehensive approach to early years care and education. The NCIP is designed to deliver 50,000 additional childcare places, with a greater focus on pre-school places for 3 to 4 year olds and school age childcare. Childcare places are provided either through community based/not for profit childcare groups or by private providers. Capital grant applications under the NCIP are assessed under a number of criteria; chiefly the nature and extent of the need locally for the service proposed, the applicant's capacity to deliver the project proposed and value for money. All proposals are expected to demonstrate how they will increase the supply of quality childcare, and furthermore, community projects are expected to have a focus on disadvantage.

Following a review of the operation of the EOCP, revised Guidelines for the assessment of NCIP capital grant applications were introduced in April this year. One strand of the Programme focuses on private providers, with a maximum capital grant of €100,000 per facility (subject to a maximum of 75% of the total cost). There is also a maximum of €1.2 million available per facility for community based/not for profit providers. The new Guidelines improved the maximum grant aid per childcare place for community projects, from a benchmark of €20,000 under the EOCP to €24,000 under the NCIP.