Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 247: To ask the Minister for Health and Children further to Parliamentary Question No. 133 of 13 November 2007, if a decision has been made on the request for a review by the group concerned; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11364/08]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy will be aware, I have responsibility for the National Childcare Investment Programme 2006 — 2010 (NCIP) which will invest €575 million over 5 years.

I understand from enquiries I have made that the service in question applied for interim NCIP staffing funding of €4,800 which was declined last September as their application had not demonstrated sufficient ability to efficiently manage and sustain the service from September 2007 and therefore did not meet the requirements of the NCIP interim support scheme. Subsequently the service requested a review of this decision which was upheld in December 2007 as sufficient evidence of financial sustainability had not been submitted. The service was notified of this decision on 4 January 2008.

The interim support scheme under the NCIP was introduced pending the introduction of the Community Childcare Subvention Scheme (CCSS) in January 2007, to facilitate services which were unable to meet the contractual deadline of December 2006 which applied to the previous support scheme, operated under the EU co-funded Equal Opportunities Investment Programme 2000-2006 (EOCP). The service should contact its local County Childcare Committee should it wish to apply for funding under the CCSS.