Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 158: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if any grant or assistance can be offered to a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40698/10]

Barry Andrews (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I understand from a clarification given by the Deputy, that this question relates to a pre-school service provider who wishes to participate in the free Pre-School Year in Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) scheme, implemented by my Office.

Some 4,300 pre-school services, or 95% of those in the State, are participating in the ECCE scheme. Some 3,800 services entered the scheme from January 2010 and a further 500 entered it in September. The closing date for receipt of applications from new entrants to the scheme in September 2010, was 30 April 2010. Applications were made, in the first instance, to the local City or County Childcare Committee (CCC) and were then forwarded to my Office for approval and entry into contract. I understand that neither the local County Childcare Committee nor my Office has any record of an application having been made by the provider in question.

A call for applications to enter the scheme from September 2011, is expected to be made in early 2011 and the provider in question may wish to contact Kildare County Childcare Committee for further information at that time.