Frances Fitzgerald
Question:1078 Ms Fitzgerald asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he will review the £40,000 ceiling on grant support for new childline facilities. [2341/01]
Written Answers. - Childline Facilities.
The capital grants currently available under my Department's equal opportunities child care programme were developed in line with the recommendations of the expert working group on child care established under Partnership 2000. Capital grants of up to £40,000 are available to self-employed/private child care providers for building, renovation or upgrading of child care facilities and for the purchase of permanently based child care equipment. Budget 2000 also provided improvements to the capital allowances in relation to the costs of construction, refurbishment or extension of premises. I am satisfied that the current grant level is meeting the requirements of self-employed/private child care providers and the scheme is kept under constant review.
As the Deputy is aware, my Department has been allocated £250 million comprising EU and Exchequer funding over the course of the National Development Plan 2000-2006 to improve child care provision and quality throughout the country. The objectives of this funding are to increase the availability of child care places, to improve the quality of child care provision and to ensure the co-ordination of child care service provision on a local and national basis. In addition to the funding available under the national development plan, in October 2000, I announced details of further Government funding of £40 million for child care development.
Since the announcement of the availability of grants in April 2000, over £30 million in funding has been committed by my Department under the equal opportunities child care programme with over £22 million being allocated in the form of capital or staffing grants to child care services on the ground. To date, almost 7,000 child care places will be supported by the funding committed by my Department which includes the creation of over 3,200 new child care places.
The measures in place reaffirm this Government's commitment to keeping child care at the forefront of its social agenda.