Pauline Tully (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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1425. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of applications from counties Cavan and Monaghan for the building blocks improvement grant; and the number of those in each county that were successful, in tabular form. [38374/23]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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My Department has allocated €9m in 2023 for The Building Blocks - Improvement Grant for Early Learning and Care (ELC) and School Age Childcare (SAC) facilities. Grants range from €35,000 to €75,000 across two separate strands: Green Energy and Retrofit. Services that signed up for the Core Funding Scheme were eligible for funding under the scheme.

Overall, 946 services submitted applications, out of a total eligible cohort of 4,200 services, which have signed up to Core Funding. In total, 151 services have been offered funding under the scheme.

I am advised that in total, 18 applications were submitted to the Building Blocks Improvement Grant from providers in County Cavan. Of this number, 3 were successful. A further 17 applications were submitted to the Building Blocks Improvement Grant from providers in County Monaghan. Of this number, 4 were successful.

The table below provides a detailed breakdown of applications from Counties Cavan and Monaghan per strand of the Building Block Improvement Grant for 2023:

Kathleen Funchion (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein)
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1426. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth for a breakdown of applications, by county, that applied and were not granted funding under the early years' sustainability grant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38383/23]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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My Department oversees a case management process, through which local City and County Childcare Committee (CCCs) and Pobal work together to assess and provide support to all Early Learning and Care (ELC) and School Age Care (SAC) services experiencing difficulties, and through which Sustainability Funding may be granted should the need arise.

Under the direction of my Department, Pobal co-ordinate the overall case management process with the CCC administering on-the-ground case management assistance. This can include help for services with analysing their business model which includes completing and interpreting analysis of staff ratios and cash flow, as well as more specialised advice and support appropriate to individual circumstances. We find that many issues are resolved at this point.

However, in some instances, financial supports through Sustainability Funding may be appropriate, in tandem with this case management process. Pobal undertake a detailed financial review of any service wishing to apply for sustainability funding in order to assess their financial eligibility and need for funding. At the conclusion of this process, Pobal decide on the basis of the funding criteria and the information gathered whether or not to recommend sustainability funding. These recommendations come to my Department for decision.

A total of 3 services have been approved for sustainability funding since September 2022. Please see below in tabular form.

In 2022, as a new development to the suite of pre-existing supports available, I introduced a further strand of sustainability funding which is available to Core Funding partner services, both community and private, who are experiencing financial difficulty

Aligned to the Department’s Sustainability Funding policy, this new strand of funding focuses on the provision of operational as well as short term financial supports where appropriate, and assists services in managing their immediate financial difficulties, providing advice to support their long-term sustainability, while transitioning to a more sustainable model of service delivery.

Like other pre-existing Sustainability supports there is no open call for applications for this funding. Funding is provided if deemed appropriate in tandem with the Case Management process. Since the commencement of the 2022/2023 programme year, no service has been allocated funding under this new strand.

The Department, Pobal and the CCCs continue to closely monitor trends concerning services entering case management and will continue to maintain the availability of Sustainability Funding for individual services at risk.

9 services were considered for this new Strand of funding but were deemed ineligible by the relevant CCC (7) or Pobal (2). Please see below in tabular form.

* Please note this service was supported via the case management process, on two separate occasions to submit a Service Provider Declaration and associated supporting financial information in relation to SF S12.

It should be noted that while these services did not meet the eligibility requirements for Sustainability Funding, all ineligible services can continue to avail of the aforementioned operational supports through the Case Management Process should they choose to. If a services circumstances change, they may be re-assessed for Sustainability Funding and can seek this through their CCC.

If any service has viability concerns, I would encourage them to reach out to their local CCC to start availing of supports through the aforementioned case management process.

Kathleen Funchion (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein)
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1427. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of ELC and SAC services in County Carlow that applied and were not granted funding under the sustainability grant. [38384/23]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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My Department oversees a case management process, through which local City and County Childcare Committee (CCCs) and Pobal work together to assess and provide support to all Early Learning and Care (ELC) and School Age Care (SAC) services experiencing difficulties, and through which Sustainability Funding may be granted should the need arise.

Under the direction of my Department, Pobal co-ordinate the overall case management process with the CCC administering on-the-ground case management assistance. This can include help for services with completing and interpreting analysis of staff ratios and cash flow, as well as more specialised advice and support appropriate to individual circumstances.

In some instances, financial supports through Sustainability Funding may be appropriate, in tandem with this case management process. Pobal undertake a detailed financial review of any service wishing to apply for sustainability funding in order to assess their financial eligibility and need for funding. At the conclusion of this process, Pobal decide on the basis of the funding criteria and the information gathered whether or not to recommend sustainability funding. These recommendations come to my Department for decision.

In 2022, I introduced a new strand of Sustainability Funding to ensure that Partner Services, whether community or private, would remain sustainable with the introduction of the new funding model, which includes public management requirements, like the fee freeze.

The number of service providers in County Carlow that engaged in case management and were considered for sustainability funding since September 2022 but were not granted funding was nil.

Note that 2022 Fire Safety Sustainability Grant details are excluded as it was targeted/application based capital funding.

If any service has viability concerns, I would encourage them to reach out to their local CCC to start availing of supports through the aforementioned case management process.

(Information supplied from Pobal - September 2022 to 1 September 2023).