Brendan Griffin (Kerry South, Fine Gael)
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698. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs when the next round of Strand 1 capital grants will be announced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30817/15]

Brendan Griffin (Kerry South, Fine Gael)
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715. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs when the next round of capital funding will be available to build new community child-care centres; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32045/15]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 698 and 715 together.

Capital funding totalling €7 million is being made available in 2015 for early years services with €5 million of this funding being made available for grants specifically for community/not for profit services.

As you are aware, resources are allocated across each area of Government spending as part of the annual Estimates cycle and budgetary process. It is not possible for me to comment at this time on what funding may be available in the context of Budget 2016.

Pat Deering (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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699. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if he will provide a breakdown of all private child care facilities in County Carlow that received capital funding since 2005. [30940/15]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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A total of €7 million was made available under the Early Years Capital Programme in 2015. Of this funding, €5 million was made available for grants specifically for community/not-for-profit early years services. This funding provided for the allocation of capital grant aid in the region of €500,000 for significant upgrades of services such as major refurbishment or relocation to new premises. Grants of up to €50,000 for essential maintenance, or works undertaken to improve the energy performance of community/not-for-profit services were also provided. The remaining €2 million was made available for both private and community/not-for-profit early years services to access grants of up to €500 for quality improvement measures, specifically in the area of upgrading IT facilities.

Capital funding of €2.5 million was provided in 2014 for the maintenance and upgrade of community/not-for-profit early years services. The objective of this funding was to ensure that previously-funded community/not-for-profit early years services remained fit-for-purpose.

€2.75m was provided in Budget 2013 to support the on-going improvement of early years services. Both private and community/not-for-profit services participating in one of the national childcare programmes implemented by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs were eligible to apply for a grant under this Programme.

Finally, in Budget 2012, the Government announced capital funding of €6m to fund a maintenance programme for early years services (i.e. to address remedial, maintenance and renovation work and to purchase equipment). This funding, which provided grants up to a maximum of €50,000, was available to private and community/ not-for-profit services.

The following table shows details of the funding provided to early years services in Co. Carlow since the establishment of this Department in 2011.