Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 111: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the process by which applications for child care community playgroups receive funding; the stages necessary to complete prior to final decision being made by her office; the criteria and conditions that apply; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34549/07]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

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), both of which are administered by the Childcare Directorate of the Office of the Minister for Children (OMC), assisted by Pobal which manages the day to day operation of the grant programmes.

Under the Equal Opportunities Childcare Programme 2000-2006 (EOCP), which is co-funded under the EU Social Fund (ESF), targeted support was provided through the staffing support grant scheme whereby community based not-for-profit childcare providers with a strong focus on disadvantage could apply for grant aid towards their staffing costs to allow them to operate reduced fees to disadvantaged parents. Applications were assessed by Pobal before being submitted to the Project Appraisal Committee (PAC) of the OMC for consideration and submission to the Secretary General of the Department of Health and Children. Since early 2005 services in receipt of the staffing support grant have been required to implement a tiered fee structure, as a condition of funding.

With the closure of the EOCP in December 2007, to continue to support community childcare services to provide affordable childcare to disadvantaged parents, the Community Childcare Subvention Scheme (CCSS) is being introduced from January 2008 under the Exchequer funded National Childcare Investment Programme 2006-2010 (NCIP), the successor programme to the EOCP. The CCSS has been allocated €153 million over the next 3 years, representing a 16% increase in funding over the EOCP staffing scheme, and will continue to support community childcare services to provide reduced childcare fees for disadvantaged parents, complementing the universal supports in place for all parents.

Under the new scheme, it will be possible to ensure that the level of grant aid which individual services qualify for will reflect the actual level of service they provide and the profile of the parents benefiting from their service. As part of their application for funding under the new scheme, existing grant recipients have been invited to apply for the CCSS by making a return to my Office accompanied by completed parent declaration forms, together with a summary sheet and a summary fees sheet outlining the cost base and fees charged. The level of subvention for each service will be determined on the basis of these returns and will be subject to completion of the necessary contractual arrangements with Pobal. The subvention received by services will, in turn, be reflected in the reduced fees for parents who qualify as disadvantaged under the scheme.

In practice, this will mean that parents with children in such services and in receipt of most social welfare payments (or participating in a scheme such as Community Employment which demonstrates an underlying entitlement to same) or parents in receipt of Family Income Supplement (FIS), will have a weekly subvention paid to the service in respect of their child. A higher subvention will be paid where the subvented child is a baby, in recognition of the higher costs associated with the care of children aged under 1 year. Parents who do not qualify for subvention will be charged the cost price for their childcare service. However, as community not-for-profit services will, generally, have availed of capital grant aid under the EOCP or NCIP removing the requirement to cover rent or a mortgage, and as the services are run on a not-for-profit basis, this should still be significantly below the market price.

Existing EOCP staffing grant recipients who enter the new scheme will continue to be funded at their current levels until July 2008. Community childcare services with a focus on disadvantage who wish to apply for the CCSS and are not existing grant recipients, should do so through their City and County Childcare Committee (CCC). The CCC will carry out a quality assessment of the service and submit their recommendation, through Pobal, for appraisal by the PAC and approval by the Secretary General. On approval, in principle, for funding, these services will then be invited to make a return to my Office, based on parent declaration forms and complete the necessary contractual arrangements with Pobal.

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 112: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the number of applications for assistance for community playgroups she has received by county; the overall allocation for 2008; when she expects to make a decision and public announcement regarding approval for such playgroups; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34550/07]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

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.

With the closure of the EU co-funded Equal Opportunities Childcare Programme 2000-2006 (EOCP) in December 2007, the staffing support grant scheme which had assisted community childcare services to provide affordable childcare to disadvantaged parents is being replaced, from 1 January 2008, by the Community Childcare Subvention Scheme (CCSS) under the Exchequer funded National Childcare Investment Programme 2006-2010 (NCIP), the successor programme to the EOCP. The CCSS has been allocated €153 million over the next 3 years, representing a 16% increase in funding over the EOCP staffing scheme, and will continue to support community childcare services to provide reduced childcare fees for disadvantaged parents, complementing the universal supports in place for all parents. Under the new scheme, it will be possible to ensure that the level of grant aid which individual services qualify for will reflect the actual level of service they provide and the profile of the parents benefiting from their service. As part of their application for funding under the new scheme, services are required to ask parents using their services to complete a simple declaration form which will be included in a return to my Office and on which basis the level of subvention for each service will be determined. The subvention received by services will, in turn, be reflected in the reduced fees for parents who qualify as disadvantaged under the scheme.

In practice, this will mean that parents with children in such services and in receipt of most social welfare payments (or participating in a scheme such as Community Employment which demonstrates an underlying entitlement to same) or parents in receipt of Family Income Supplement (FIS), will see a weekly subvention in respect of their child. A higher subvention will be paid where the subvented child is a baby, in recognition of the higher costs associated with the care of children aged under 1 year. Parents who do not qualify for subvention will be charged the cost price for their childcare service, however, as community not-for-profit services will, generally, have availed of capital grant aid under the EOCP or NCIP removing the requirement to cover rent or a mortgage, and as the services are run on a not-for-profit basis, this should still be significantly below the market price.

As part of their application for funding under the new scheme, some 820 existing staffing grant recipients have been invited to apply for the CCSS by making a return to my Office accompanied by completed parent declaration forms, together with a summary sheet and a summary fees sheet outlining the cost base and fees charged. To date 674 have applied and letters have issued to 459 informing them that they have been approved for transitional funding, subject to completion of the necessary contractual arrangements with Pobal. A further 154 have been asked to forward information which was omitted or incorrect in their original return. I have asked officials in my Office to issue a further invitation to Groups which have not yet applied for entry to the new scheme and would encourage them to return completed applications as soon as possible.

The table gives a breakdown of applications received from Groups per county.

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 113: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if, in respect of an application for a community playgroup (details supplied) in County Mayo, she has received details of the application concerned; the stage of the process the application is at; the expected date of approval; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34551/07]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

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.

With regard to the application for capital grant assistance under the National Childcare Investment Programme 2006-2010 referred to in the question, I understand that it is currently in the assessment process. The applicants will be informed of the outcome in due course.