Vol. 534 No. 3
268 Ms O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the parameters for qualification for the disadvantaged child care programme within his Department; if the programme includes after school programmes for primary school children; the finance available under the programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10547/01]
I assume the Deputy is referring to the equal opportunities child care programme which is operated by my Department. A total of £250 million comprising EU and Exchequer funding has been allocated over the course of the National Development Plan 2000-2006 to improve child care provision and quality throughout the country. This funding, which has a focus on equal opportunities and social inclusion, is targeted at services which offer day care facilities and services for pre-school children and school going children out of school hours.
The programme would welcome further applications for after school programmes for primary school children along with the other groups covered by the programme. The objectives of the programme 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 this £250 million, my Department was allocated £26.5 million in 2001 as part of the Government's £40 million anti-inflationary package for child care.
Applications for funding are considered by a programme appraisal committee chaired by my Department. The programme appraisal committee make a recommendation on each application following an initial assessment carried out by Area Development Management Ltd., ADM. Ltd., on behalf of my Department. The assessment of applications is based on material supplied by the applicant in the original application or any additional material requested. No single factor determines the outcome of any application. As outlined in the general guidelines for funding measures which are available from my Department, applications are assessed according to the following five criteria: the socio economic profile of the area relating to the application; the quality of the proposal; the capacity of the applicant/s to implement the project; the level of integration/co-ordination; and the costings/value for money of the proposal.
So as to enable the assessment of an application under these five criteria, information on a wide range of issues is gathered throughout the appraisal process. A number of factors are considered in assessing applications, including the profile of parents accessing the service; whether the provision of the particular service enables parents from disadvantaged circumstances return to education, training or employment; how the location of the applicant group is rated on the Haase Index of Relative Affluence and Deprivation; the fee structure implemented by the group and its implications for the disadvantaged in the community accessing the service; whether or not the facility facilitates children with special needs or those of ethnic diversity; and the mechanisms that the applicant has put in place to target-focus the service to attract disadvantaged families.
269 Mrs. B. Moynihan-Cronin asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the position regarding the establishment of the county child care committee in County Kerry. [10584/01]
As the Deputy will be aware, county child care committees are being established to advance the development of child care at a local level. The Kerry county child care committee is at quite an advanced stage of establishment. The committee has had two meetings so far, the first taking place on 20 February 2001 and the second on 27 March 2001. The next meeting of the committee is scheduled for 24 April 2001.
270 Mrs. B. Moynihan-Cronin asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of applicants from County Kerry under the equal opportunities child care expenditure scheme 2000-06; the number of successful applicants; the level of funding in each case; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10585/01]
As the Deputy may be aware, schemes for capital and staffing grants for community not for profit group(s) and capital for private child care providers are part of the Government child care funding initiatives administered under my Department's equal opportunities child care programme 2000-06.
Funding is available for community based or not for profit groups or private providers, including childminders, who provide child care services. Applications for funding under these measures can be made by submitting the relevant application form to my Department's equal opportunities child care section. Completed applications for funding are assessed initially, on behalf of the Department, by Area Development Management Ltd. This is followed by an assessment by the programme appraisal committee chaired by my Department before referral to me for final decision. The assessment criteria for these measures include the extent to which the project will increase the number of child care places, the quality and financial sustainability of the proposal as well as the capacity of the service provider to implement the project.
Up to 6 April 2001 my Department's equal opportunities child care section had received 35 applications for funding from child care providers in County Kerry. To date I have approved funding, under the equal opportunities child care programme 2000-06, to 22 child care services in County Kerry to the value of £2.87 million. This funding will support more than 600 child care places in County Kerry, including almost 280 new child care places. Funding was also approved for staffing costs for area partnerships around the country including £4,000 for North Kerry Together in Listowel. Two projects have been deemed ineligible for funding on the basis that the projects did not meet the criteria of the programme.
The following table details the level of grant-aid which has been awarded in County Kerry since July 2000.
|
Name of Project/Community Group |
Grant Type |
Level of Funding(IR£) |
|
Ardfert Community Council, Ardfert |
Staffing–Community based (over 3 years) |
114,000 |
|
Ardfert Community Council, Ardfert |
Capital–Community based |
3,125 |
|
Coiste Tuismitheori Naionra an Ghleanna, Emlaghmore |
Capital–Community based |
152,500 |
|
Coiste Tuismitheori Naionra an Ghleanna, Emlaghmore |
Staffing–Community based (over 3 years) |
150,000 |
|
Fossa Community Pre-school, Fossa, Killarney |
Staffing–Community based (over 3 years) |
50,000 |
|
Kerry Diocesan Youth Service, Tralee |
Staffing–Community based (over 3 years) |
150,000 |
|
Presentation Family Resource Centre, Listowel |
Staffing–Community based (over 3 years) |
150,000 |
|
Valentia Island Resource and Childcare Centre, Valentia |
Staffing–Community based (over 3 years) |
146,500 |
|
Brother of Charity Services–Killarney |
Staffing–Community based (over 3 years) |
75,000 |
|
Ballyspillane Community Playgroup |
Staffing–Community based (over 3 years) |
100,000 |
|
Milltown Community Playgroup, Milltown |
Staffing–Community based (over 3 years) |
77,827 |
|
Kiddies Paradise Cahirciveen Community Playgroup |
Staffing–Community based (over 3 years) |
150,000 |
|
IRD Waterville Ltd., Waterville |
Staffing–Community based (over 3 years) |
150,000 |
|
Cumann Iosaf Teo, Tralee |
Staffing–Community based (over 3 years) |
150,000 |
|
Name of Project/Community Group |
Grant Type |
Level of Funding(IR£) |
|
Brothers of Charity Southern Services, Cahirciveen |
Staffing–Community based (over 3 years) |
75,000 |
|
Kerry Diocesan Youth Services, Killarney |
Staffing–Community based (over 3 years) |
150,000 |
|
Kerry Diocesan Youth Services, Killarney |
Capital–Community based |
353,965 |
|
Iveragh Information Technology |
Capital–Community based |
168,345 |
|
Duagh Family Resource Centre |
Capital–Community based |
224,400 |
|
Killorglin Community Pre-school, Killorglin |
Capital–Community based |
197,069 |
|
Comharchumann Forbatha an Leith Triúigh |
Capital–Community based |
15,000 |
|
Mounthawk Montessori School, Tralee |
Capital–self-employed |
40,000 |
|
Kids Korner, Killarney |
Capital–self-employed |
6,150 |
|
Naionra Lisloose, Tralee |
Capital–self-employed |
4,122 |
|
Pebbles Playschool, Ballyheigue |
Capital–self-employed |
16,428 |
