Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 23 Nov 1999

Vol. 511 No. 3

Written Answers. - Child Care Services.

Trevor Sargent

Question:

86 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the measures, if any, he is taking to provide grant aid and any other forms of assistance for people and community organisations considering the establishment of cre±che and other child care facilities. [22816/99]

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

My Department's equal opportunities child care programme provides supports for the development of child care facilities, including the establishment of creches. The programme is designed primarily to support local communities who are helping parents with child care responsibilities to access employment, education and training opportunities. It is targeted mainly at community based projects in disadvantaged areas but also has an equal opportunities dimension.

The initial budget for the equal opportunities childcare programme, 1998-99, was just over £6 million. Earlier this year, my Department sought and received additional funding of £5 million from the European Social Fund and the Exchequer to expand the programme. To date the programme has assisted in providing capital infrastructure funding for over 100 projects, has provided support for salary costs in 25 community based child care facilities and has contributed towards the development of eight employer projects involving 21 employers. In addition, money has been provided for the development of a national child care census and database.

The additional funding received this year has allowed further investment in child care including: developing and expanding the services of the national voluntary child care organisations; providing training grants for community child care projects supported under the programme; providing grants to partnerships and local development community groups for child care training, development, project management and capacity building; researching the development of family friendly policies for small and medium enterprises; enhancing the national child care census and database.

The question of future supports for the establishment of crèches and other child care facilities will be considered in the context of the Government's decisions on the report of the Interdepartmental Committee on Childcare, which is being considered at present by a ministerial group which I am chairing.

The Deputy may be aware that funding of £250 million has been included for child care in the national development plan. This funding will be in the regional operational programmes of the national development plan and my Department is currently developing a child care measure which will incorporate the objectives and strategies of the national development plan and the decisions of the Government on child care supports.