Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
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558. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the reason a community playschool (details supplied) in County Dublin will be closing down; the measures his Department has taken to resolve the situation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19903/15]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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Childcare services are provided by private commercial or community childcare providers and decisions in relation to the sustainability of these services is a matter for the owners or management committees.

I understand that Fingal County Childcare Committee (FCCC) worked closely with the representatives of the service in trying to resolve management and governance issues and outlined a number of options that would provide for the continuation of the service. It was a matter for the representatives of the service to agree on a suitable option but no proposal was made that would allow the FCCC to provide further support.

I wish to point out to the Deputy that my Department provides annual funding of €260 million which supports a range of childcare programmes that are delivered by more than 4,200 childcare services through out the country. Childcare services participating in these programmes must have an appropriate management and governance structure in place that would enable them to effectively deliver the quality services required.