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Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 1 Apr 1999

Vol. 503 No. 2

Written Answers. - Child Care Services.

Ivan Yates

Question:

198 Mr. Yates asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the financial assistance, if any, available for the establishment of crèche or pre-school facilities. [9519/99]

Financial assistance for child care, including financial assistance towards the establishment of crèche or pre-school facilities, is provided by my Department under the equal opportunities child care programme. This two year programme contains three funding initiatives, viz. capital infrastructure, community support and employer demonstration. Each initiative has a separate budget with distinct criteria and targets. All three initiatives are interdependent 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 Exchequer and the EU. 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 ECU – approximately £390,000 – was from the EU, while the balance, £2.01 million was provided by the Exchequer. In 1999, a total of £3.6 million has been provided in my Department's Vote for child care. This comprises 1.5 million ECU – approximately £1.18 million – from the EU, with the balance i.e. £2.42 million being provided by the Exchequer.

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 approximately fails to be allocated this year in respect of applicants who met the qualifying criteria under the capital infrastructure strand of the programme. The allocation of child care funding to my Department post-1999 will be addressed in the context of the Estimates for the year 2000.

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