Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein)
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251. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if she plans to cut funding to child care centres currently funded under the community services programme. [52483/13]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The Community Services Programme operates under the aegis of my Department and provides grants in the form of a financial contribution to the costs of employment management and operative staff in supporting the delivery of services of benefit to communities where gaps in services exist or to ensure that existing community and public investment is utilised. A very broad range of services, including the provision of community childcare is supported under the programme. Contracts are generally offered on a three year cycle and reviewed within this cycle to confirm eligibility, value for money, compliance with programme rules and continued relevance of the service.

I propose to provide some €45.1 million of this programme in 2014 which is equivalent to the same funds provided in 2013. The level of funds offered to a contractor may vary over time to reflect the outcome of the regular review process. Where funds become available, there are allocated to other contracts where services are expanding or to fund new proposals. The Deputy may wish to note that a number of contracts will transfer from the programme to another State agency in 2014 which will see a reduction in the total allocation to the programme under this Department. There have been no cuts in the funds available to the remaining contracts.