Written Answers. - Child Care Services.
John V. Farrelly
Question:
365
Mr. Farrelly
asked the
Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform
if he will be announcing details of two types of grant aid for the provision of child care facilities at a conference in Kerry on the 9 April or May 2000; the reason the general public have to wait until this announcement for grant aid to be made available; the reason he will have two levels of grant aid for this type of facility; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[10702/00]
Tony Gregory
Question:
376
Mr. Gregory
asked the
Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform
the plans, if any, he has for the funding of child care and day nurseries; when the scheme will be announced; and the criteria to be used.
[10836/00]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 365 and 376 together.
I advise the Deputies that my Department will be operating a number of funding measures under the Equal Opportunities Childcare Programme 2000-2006. The funding will be aimed, in the context of the national development plan, at increasing the quantity of child care places and improving the quality of child care services, including capital grants to non-profit organisations and community groups to establish, upgrade or enhance child care facilities; staffing grants to non-profit organisations and community groups towards the employment of trained child care personnel; capital grants for self-employed child care service providers catering for up to twenty child care places; supports for training initiatives; grants to enhance the services of the national voluntary child care organisations; and grants towards the development of local child care networks.
It is my intention to advertise the following measures under my Department's Equal Opportunities Childcare Programme 2000-2006 in the national press at the end of April: capital grants for community based-not for profit child care providers; staffing grants for community based-not for profit child care providers; capital grants for self-employed child care providers catering for up to 20 child care places.
The criteria and the eligibility requirements for the measures being provided under the programme are being developed at present. The application forms and guidelines for these initiatives are at the design stage and will shortly be going to print.
Following promotion of these schemes, application forms and guidelines will be available from my Department's equal opportunities child care section. It is envisaged that the application process will be open-ended thus allowing prospective applicants adequate time to prepare their proposals.
An appraisal process for the various measures is being established which will take into account various factors such as the location of the facility, cost-effectiveness and the overall quality of the proposal.
The funding measures being put in place over the course of the national development plan will ensure that the objectives of the Equal Opportunities Childcare Programme 2000-2006 are met. The range of these measures will ensure that the supply of quality child care will be increased, particularly in disadvantaged areas, and that these facilities will benefit from staffing supports for qualified child care workers. At the same time there is provision in the new programme to support the smaller private child care providers. This will allow both the community based and private child care sectors to grow to meet the demand for child care in Ireland.
