Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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707. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if he will provide a detailed breakdown of the person who received funding under Strand 1 of the early years capital funding 2015; and the criteria they met to be eligible for the funding. [31508/15]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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A total of €7 million was provided under the Early Years Capital Programme in 2015. Under this Programme, applications were invited from all early years services contracted to deliver the Department of Children and Youth Affairs childcare programmes. All applications submitted under the following strands were evaluated by Pobal, who administers the Programme on behalf of my Department:

Under the criteria of the 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, was a major consideration when Pobal was reviewing the applications. Applicants that could best demonstrate “readiness” were those that:

a) had obtained full planning permission, or could demonstrate that planning was not required;

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

c) had confirmation that the project could be completed within the timeframe available.

Applications that were successful were those that represented the most complete, coherent, precise and compelling cases for funding. The investment is being directed, to the best extent possible, to making the greatest impact by addressing the most urgent works and supporting the quality of services making the greatest impact for disadvantaged children and communities.

I would like to inform the Deputy that details of the funding allocated under the Early Years Capital Programme in 2015, including the information requested by him, is available on www.dcya.gov.ieand www.pobal.ie.

The following table gives details of funding allocated under Strand 1 of the Programme.