Marc Ó Cathasaigh (Waterford, Green Party)
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754. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he has any plans to reintroduce capital grants scheme for childcare facilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54407/22]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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In September, I was pleased to announce a €9m Capital Grant for the Early Learning and Childcare Sector. The Building Blocks - Improvement Grant is part of a wider Building Blocks Capital Programme for Early Learning and Childcare under the National Development Plan.

Grants will range from €35,000 to €75,000 across two separate strands: Green Energy and Retrofit. 

The Green Energy Strand/Strand A will support the Climate Action Agenda and the Programme for Government, which aim to transition to a carbon neutral economy by the end of 2050 and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 51% by 2030. 

Services that sign up for the Core Funding Scheme are eligible for funding under for the Building Blocks - Capital Programme. The capital grant scheme opened to applications on Friday 28th October 2022 and the closing date is Friday 25th November 2022.  Successful applicants will be notified in early 2023.

The grant scheme is part of a wider Building Blocks Capital Programme designed to meet current and long-term Early Learning and Childcare infrastructure needs – with details of a €45m Building Blocks - Capacity Grant and a €15m Building Blocks - Innovation Grant to be announced in the coming months.