Written answers

Wednesday, 16 July 2014

Department of Children and Youth Affairs

Child Care Services Provision

Photo of Marcella Corcoran KennedyMarcella Corcoran Kennedy (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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325. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the reason that a cut in the parent and toddler scheme 2014 has been imposed (details supplied). [31861/14]

Photo of James ReillyJames Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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Funding of €0.25 million is being provided in 2014 to support the Parent and Toddler Initiative which is implemented by City and County Childcare Committees at county level and is administered by Pobal on behalf of my Department. This Initiative provides grants to parent and toddler groups with a particular focus on disadvantaged areas.

Following recommendations by Childcare Committees Ireland (CCI), the representative group for the City and County Childcare Committees (CCCs), and subsequently agreed by my Department, the Parent and Toddler grant funding in 2014 is being allocated proportionately on the basis of the number of parent and toddler groups reported by each Committee in its most recent end-of-year return. The funding will be released by Pobal in one tranche with any unspent funds to be returned to Pobal at end of year.

The process for allocation to Offaly CCC is consistent with this criteria and the funding allocation of €6,098 for 2014 is based on 26 parent and toddler groups reported in the Committee's 2013 end-of-year return.

Photo of James BannonJames Bannon (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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326. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of childcare facilities to which payments have been made from her Department in counties Longford and Westmeath; the amounts paid to each county per year from 2011 to 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31900/14]

Photo of James ReillyJames Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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A number of childcare programmes are implemented by my Department to assist parents with the cost of childcare. These include the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme, the Community Childcare Subvention (CCS) programme, and the Childcare Education and Training Support (CETS) programme.

Tables are attached which give details of the total annual funding allocated to childcare providers in counties Longford and Westmeath under the various programmes, and the number of providers that availed of this support from the establishment of Department of Children and Youth Affairs June 2011 to the present date. The figures for the ECCE programme cover the period from September 2011 which is the first full year that the programme was implemented by this Department.

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