John Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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616. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs his plans to introduce capital funding for private childcare providers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21650/15]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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€18.25 million in capital funding has been allocated to childcare providers by my Department since 2012. Of this funding, €10.75 million was available to both private and community/not-for-profit childcare providers.

€7 million is being made available in 2015 under the Early Years Capital Programme 2015, with €5 million of this funding available for grants specifically for community/not for profit services. This funding will provide grant aid, in the region of €500,000, for significant upgrades of community/not-for-profit services, such as major refurbishment or relocation to new premises. Also under this strand of funding, grants of up to €50,000 will be available for essential maintenance, or works undertaken to improve the energy performance.

The remaining €2 million in capital funding is being made available for both private and community/not-for-profit childcare providers to access grants of up to €500 for quality improvement measures, specifically in the area of upgrading IT facilities. The closing date for applications was 28th May.

Capital funding of €2.5 million was provided in 2014 for maintenance and upgrade of community/not-for-profit childcare services. The objective of this funding was to ensure that previously-funded community facilities remain fit-for-purpose, maintain and improve quality, and to make community services more efficient and sustainable through improving the energy rating of these facilities.

€2.75m was provided in Budget 2013 to support the on-going improvement of the childcare sector. Both community/not-for-profit childcare facilities and private childcare facilities were eligible to apply for a grant under the Programme.

Capital funding of €6m was allocated in Budget 2012 to fund a maintenance programme for childcare facilities. The programme was open to both community not-for-profit childcare facilities and private childcare facilities. The aim of the funding was to provide support to childcare settings to address remedial, maintenance and renovation work, or to purchase equipment.

It is a requirement of all early years capital funding programmes administered by this Department that applicants must be providing services under at least one of the Department's childcare support programmes.