Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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510. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the amount to be allocated to a community childcare facility (details supplied) in County Clare; when the organisation is likely to receive same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1785/15]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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My Department implements a number of programmes to support parents with the cost of childcare. The pre-school service referred to by the Deputy is participating in these programmes and provides childcare services under the Community Childcare Subvention (CCS) programme, the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme and the Childcare Education and Training Support (CETS) programme.

The CCS programme provides funding to community childcare not-for-profit services to enable them to provide childcare at reduced rates to disadvantaged and low income working parents. Participating services qualify for funding on the basis of the level of service they provide and the profile of the qualifying parents eligible for support under the programme. This group was approved for CCS funding of €63,138 for the year 2013/14. A preliminary payment for the school year 2014/15 has been made to the service and further payments will be made following the verification of the parental returns submitted to Pobal.

The ECCE programme is a free and universal programme which provides a free pre-school year to all eligible children. For the academic year 2014/2015, based on standard rate payments of €62.50 per child per week and an enrolment of 15 children, this service will be entitled to a total funding in the region of €35,000 under this programme.

The CETS programme supports parents who are endeavouring to enter or return to the workforce and who are participating in training or educational courses for this purpose. Funding of €4,259 was allocated to this service for the calendar year 2014. In relation to 2015, funding will be determined by the number of children enrolled throughout the year whose parents qualify for support under the programme.

Capital funding of €2.5 million was provided under the Early Years Capital Programme 2014 for the maintenance and upgrade of community/not-for-profit childcare services. This group was approved capital funding of €36,841 under that programme of which 90% or €33,157 was paid out.  The final 10% of the grant is dependent upon the review by Pobal of the financial return submitted by the service. It is expected that this review will be completed shortly .