Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 10 Mar 1999

Vol. 502 No. 1

Written Answers. - Child Care Programme.

Michael D. Higgins

Question:

46 Mr. M. Higgins asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the source of the £2.6 million allocated to the equal opportunity child care programme; if all the funding was drawn down in 1998; the amount available in 1999; the way in which it is proposed to disperse these funds; the time-scale involved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7225/99]

Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform (Mr. O'Donoghue)

The equal opportunities child care programme is a two year programme which contains three funding initiatives, each of which has a separate budget with distinct criteria and targets. All three initiatives are inter-dependent and strive towards the common aim of improving the quality and quantity of child care provision in Ireland from an equal opportunities-disadvantaged perspective. The equal opportunities child care programme is administered by Area Development Management Limited, ADM, on behalf of my Department. ADM is an independent company designated by the Government and the European Commission to support integrated local economic and social development in co-operation with relevant area partnership companies established by the Government.

The equal opportunities child care programme is funded by the EU and the Exchequer. A sum of £2.6 million was provided in my Department's Vote in 1998 for child care. Approximately £200,000 of this was Exchequer funding for the Expert Working Group on Child Care. Of the remaining £2.4 million, \500,000 – approximately £390,000 – was from the EU, while the balance was provided by the Exchequer, for the equal opportunities child care programme and for £50,000 matching funding for the IPPA in respect of an EU NOVA project and £50,000 for a Dublin Institute of Technology EU NOW project. The NOVA and NOW projects fed into the deliberations of the Partnership 2000 Expert Working Group on Child Care. Administration of the programme costs £106,000 per annum and matching funding for the EU funded Child Care Database is £38,000 over the two year period. All of the 1998 provision was drawn by ADM in 1998. In 1999, a total of £3.6 million has been provided in my Department's Vote for child care. This comprises \1.5 million – approximately £1.18 million – from the EU with the balance being provided by the Exchequer. Of this £3.6 million, £100,000 is being made available to the Shanty project in Tallaght, £50,000 for year two of the Dublin Institute of Technology EU NOW project, while the remainder will be provided to the Equal Opportunities Child Care Programme on the basis of applications received in May-June 1998.

Applications were invited in relation to the Equal Opportunities Child Care Programme in the national newspapers and the closing date for receipt of applications for funding under this two year programme was May-June 1998. All funding is being allocated on the basis of applications received in advance of the May-June 1998 deadline. The bulk of this funding was allocated in July of last year and a further £450,000 fails to be allocated this year in respect of applicants which met the qualifying criteria under the capital infrastructure strand. The allocation of child care funding to my Department post 1999 has not yet been addressed.