Vol. 497 No. 4
30 Ms Shortall asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the support given by his Department to childcare in disadvantaged areas under the pilot childcare initiative; the areas assisted; the plans, if any, he has to extend the programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25174/98]
In 1994, a pilot childcare initiative was designed and was continued in each subsequent year, up to and including 1997. The initiative was intended to assist projects for the establishment, on a pilot basis, of childcare measures utilising the skills of trained local people, to enable local residents to undertake education, training, re-training and employment opportunities which they would otherwise be unable to do, in the absence of a childcare facility. It was a condition of the initiative that grants were confined to groups in disadvantaged areas which were defined as those areas in which there were area based partnerships-local community groups.
An evaluation of the pilot childcare initiative at the end of the first two years of its operation, 1994 and 1995, showed that, inter alia, the initiative was instrumental in bringing about a radical transformation in the childcare projects which benefited from its funding and in the related communities. As Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, I sought and obtained Government approval for the conversion of the pilot childcare initiative into an equal opportunity childcare programme. This programme is designed to support local communities and employers who are trying to facilitate women and men who have childcare responsibilities while accessing training, education and employment. It is targeted particularly at parents in disadvantaged areas and those in low pay who cannot access training, education and employment opportunities due to lack of affordable good quality childcare. In July of this year I announced expenditure of £5.2 million on this programme, including EU funding, over the 1998-99 period.
This funding is being provided to the following three initiatives:
Capital Infrastructure
Money is being targeted at community childcare projects to enable them to upgrade/enhance their facilities or establish new purpose built facilities for women and men who need childcare while they are at work or availing of training (90 community projects in receipt of funding).
Core Funding
This fund is being used to provide support to meet the expenditure required for full-time senior childcare works in community childcare projects with a focus on equal opportunities and disadvantage (25 flagship projects in receipt of funding).
Employer Demonstration Childcare Initiative
This is being developed in partnership with IBEC to stimulate employer interest and involvement in supporting equal opportunity childcare facilities (21 companies, forming eight consortiums, in receipt of funding).
