James Bannon (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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Question 68: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if funding for a community child care service (details supplied) in County Westmeath will be provided. [9747/10]

Barry Andrews (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The company in question is participating in both the Community Childcare Subvention Scheme (CCSS) and the Pre-School Year in Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) scheme, both of which are implemented by my Office. The CCSS provides support funding to community based not for profit child care services to enable them to charge reduced fees to disadvantaged and low income working parents. The ECCE scheme, which was introduced in January of this year, is open to all pre-school services and provides grant funding in return for the provision of a free Pre-School Year in Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE).

I am pleased to advise the Deputy that the company in question is benefiting from the funding available under both schemes. I understand that, in 2009, it received CCSS funding amounting in total to €63,590 and it is due to receive a preliminary CCSS payment for the first quarter of 2010 amounting to €15,898. The preliminary payment for 2010 is, however, currently being withheld as the company has not yet forwarded the report on grant expenditure which was due in September 2009 and is a contractual obligation under the scheme. As a participant in the new ECCE scheme, the company has received a preliminary payment for the first quarter of 2010 amounting €14,706.