Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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878. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the status of funding for pre-schools (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23731/16]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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I understand from my colleagues in Kerry County Childcare Committee that your constituent, to whom you refer in your question, has made an application to participate in the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme for the coming academic year. New Service Agreements will be processed shortly by my officials with the cooperation of the City and County Childcare Committees.

Once in contract for the ECCE programme providers will be paid either a weekly standard rate of €64 or a higher capitation rate of €75 (depending on the qualifications of the preschool leader) for each child that is registered with and attending their facility. These rates reflect the Budget 2016 changes which increased the ECCE back up to 2012 levels. On 26 August 2016, all successful new applicants, whose Service Agreement is in place by 18 August 2016, will be given an advance payment of €960 (based on three children for five weeks at the standard rate of €64). Thereafter, payments are intended to be paid every five weeks in advance through to the end of May 2017.

My Department also administers three other targeted childcare programmes which your constituent may be eligible to participate in. The names of these programmes are Community Childcare Subvention (Private) (CCSP); Afterschool Childcare (ASCC); Community Employment Childcare (CEC). Kerry County Childcare Committee is happy to assist any eligible services to apply to participate in these programmes.

Earlier this year, my Department, with the assistance of Pobal, invited applications from all services contracted to deliver its various childcare programmes to be consider for capital funding. The funding was specifically for existing pre-school providers – both community/not-for-profit and private providers – who want to expand their services to cater for more children from September 2016. The closing date for that round of funding has now passed.

On 8 July 2016 I announced that more than €6.5m in capital funding was allocated through my Department to 1,006 pre-school providers nationwide. This represents an increase of over 2.5m on the amount of €4m announced for this programme in February 2016. Grants of up to €10,000 per provider are being provided.