Áine Collins (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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85. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if the early years capital grant 2015 will allow an existing community child care provider extend a current property with a new building under this scheme. [16877/15]

Áine Collins (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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88. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if planning permission must be applied for before submitting an application for a grant under the early years capital programme 2015; and if consideration will be given to projects that have commenced before December 2015 but which have not been completed before this date, due to planning and administration procedures . [16946/15]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 85 and 88 together.

I recently announced the introduction of the Early Years Capital (EYC) 2015 programme with funding totalling €7 million provided for developments in the early years sector. The programme is being administered by Pobal, on behalf of my Department, and details of the programme including a Frequently Asked Question (FAQ) section, are available on the Pobal website at www.pobal.ie.

Under the criteria of the new programme projects must be completed, and grant funds fully reported, by December 2015. As such, the “readiness” of a project to proceed, and be completed within the timeframe, will be a major consideration when Pobal are reviewing the applications. Applicants that can best demonstrate “readiness” will be those that:

a) have obtained full planning permission, or can demonstrate that planning is not required;

b) have completed an appropriate tendering process where tenders are still in date and valid; and,

c) have confirmation that project can be completed within the timeframe available.

Strand 1 funding under the programme, which provides for large scale capital grants, is available to groups who have an opportunity to move their service from an unsuitable building to a more suitable location e.g. where a premises has been made available to the group but will need works to make it suitable for the delivery early years services. This strand of funding is also available to services to undertake major essential refurbishment work in order that their current premises remains fit-for-purpose. In both cases, the works may result in the service having increased capacity on completion of the project. Funding is not available where the sole purpose of the project is to increase the capacity of the service.