Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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949. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the funding supports available for the development of early years sessional childcare facilities, including capital grants; the supports available for the development of facilities that offer full-time childcare services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44735/18]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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My Department's annual capital offering for childcare has supported the development of full-time and sessional childcare services in terms of capacity, maintenance and quality.

The total Capital allocation for Early Years in 2018 was €6.86m. From a budget of €6.36m, the 2018 Early Years and School Age Childcare Capital Programmes achieved the following:

- 85applications approved for the creation of 1,950new early years places: 697 0-3places, 1,253 ECCEplaces;

- 57Essential maintenance and repair projects funded for community early years services;

- 157Natural outdoor play areas built in early years services;

- 45applications approved for the creation of 807new school age childcare places;

- 54Essential maintenance and repair projects funded for community school age childcare services.

Work is on-going on the 2018 Capital Programmes and final reporting has not been completed. Therefore, the above figures are provisional, subject to decommitals and contract refusals.

In 2017, the total capital outturn for the Early Years and School Age Childcare Capital Programmes was€11.757m. These programmes achieved the following:

- 93 applications funded for the creation of 2,357 new early years places: 610 0-3places, 1,747 ECCEplaces;

- 130Building improvements and maintenance projects funded for community early years services;

- 452Natural outdoor play areas built in early years services;

- 114grants approved for building new school age childcare services, creating 3,390new school age childcare places

- 112grants approved for expanding existing school age childcare services, creating 1,934new school age childcare places;

- 263Improvement of existing school age childcare services projects funded.

My Department also offers a total of €0.5munder the Childminding Development Grant (€0.25m) and the Parent & Toddler Grant (€0.25m) annually.

The total capital budget for Early Years in 2019 has been confirmed at €8.86m. The details of 2019's Capital offering are currently in development and an announcement on these will issue to all childcare providers once they have been finalised.

It is intended that this funding will be used to support necessary improvements to childcare infrastructure and to support childcare providers in preparation for the launch of the Affordable Childcare Scheme.