Vol. 541 No. 4
378 Mr. McGuinness asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he will review an application by a person (details supplied) in County Carlow for a capital grant under the equal opportunities childcare programme 2000-06. [22729/01]
As the Deputy may be aware, capital grant schemes for self-employed and private providers of child care are part of the Government child care funding initiatives administered under my Department's equal opportunities child care programme, 2000-06. In March 2001, I approved a grant of £12,424 (15,775), to the applicant in question, under my Department's capital grant for self-employed child care providers scheme. This funding was allocated towards the cost of purchasing equipment for the child care service. The applicant had also sought funding for building work which had been carried out prior to September 2000. As the building work had been carried out prior to the application for funding in mid-December 2000, the costs involved were not eligible for funding. As the Deputy may be aware, funding under the equal opportunities childcare programme is EU co-financed and under EU rules, retrospective funding is not allowable. In April 2001, a revised application was received in my Department's equal opportunities child care section. I understand that additional funding was sought towards the costs of tarring (surfacing) the entrance and surrounding area of the creche. Following an assessment by Area Development Management Ltd., this application was then considered by the programme appraisal committee.
The committee noted, in their consideration of this revised application, that the recommendations in the applicant's health board report did not require the tarring and surfacing work for which funding was now being sought. Furthermore, the programme appraisal committee were of the view that as the property was rented on a short lease the benefit of the work under consideration would accrue to the landlord of the property more than the child care service. As a consequence, the programme appraisal committee did not recommend the request for additional funding. I understand that, as the applicant has not reached the £40,000 (50,789.52) maximum for a capital grant for a private child care facility, a further application in respect of future expenditure could be considered within the existing guidelines of the equal opportunities child care programme. With regard to the funding already approved, I understand from ADM Ltd., who administer the funding on behalf of my Department, that to date £9,318 (11,831) of the amount awarded has been drawn down by the grant recipient.
