Frank Feighan (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 44: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the way a child care centre (details supplied) can honour subventive places in between reviews; her proposals to ensure that these services can continue; and the plans she has put in place to ensure these state of the art facilities do not become redundant. [15016/09]

Barry Andrews (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy will be aware, I have responsibility for the National Childcare Investment Programme (NCIP) 2006 -2010, under which the Community Childcare Subvention Scheme (CCSS) is being implemented.

Services participating in the CCSS receive annual funding on the basis of the number of qualifying parents recorded as using the service in a particular reference week, generally set in late September of each year. To provide for changes in parent profiles, which may alter the service provider's overall costs, providers are encouraged to include this contingency at the beginning of each year when they are calculating the cost price of the service(s) provided. Services may apply mid-year to have their funding reviewed, where they believe they would benefit from additional funding as a result of a significant increase in the number of qualifying parents. In 2009, services were advised that they should have requested a review by 26 March and that the reference week will be that ending on 3 April. Where a review results in an increased level of funding, this will be calculated with effect from 1 April.

As the funding is paid on the basis of the number of qualifying parents using a service at a particular point in time, the increase in funding will apply from that date and cannot be applied retrospectively. It is also noted that the facility for a mid-year review is optional and services with lesser numbers of qualifying parents are not required to seek a reduction in their grant level. I am satisfied that the arrangements in place are satisfactory and provide for much greater flexibility than was the case under the previous support scheme, under the Equal Opportunities Childcare Programme (EOCP), which allocated funding for a period of 3 years.

I understand that services participating in the CCSS have been provided with detailed guidelines regarding the scheme including the review process, by the Childcare Directorate of my Office. I also understand that the service in question has recently applied for a review of their 2009 funding and have been asked to forward completed returns to the Childcare Directorate. When this new information is processed the service will be advised of any changes to their funding allocation.

The Deputy will be aware of the announcement in this week's Budget speech of the introduction of a free pre-school year for eligible children from January next. I very much welcome this important investment in our children's futures as a mark of this Government's ongoing commitment to children. The provision of a year's free pre-school will promote equality of opportunity at the most important developmental stage of children's lives. The development will also help to sustain thousands of jobs in the childcare sector.