Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 26 Feb 2002

Vol. 549 No. 3

Written Answers. - Child Care Services.

Brian Hayes

Question:

373 Mr. B. Hayes asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he will release funding from the surplus money which exists for child care provision in respect of an application he received from An Cosán in Tallaght for the purposes of a major child care training programme; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the local area committee cannot fund this particular programme and an original application was made to secure funding for this programme; if his attention has further been drawn to the fact that 36 women are currently attending the child care training programme; if he will secure funding to ensure that this programme is continued; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6837/02]

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

As the Deputy is no doubt aware, my Department has been assigned the lead role in the development and co-ordination of child care service provision over the course of the National Development Plan, 2000-2006. Funding of some €436 million is being provided under the equal opportunities child care programme for a diverse but strategically focused range of measures, including capital grants, staffing supports for community facilities and projects designed to improve the quality of child care. The equal opportunities child care programme has two main purposes to its measures – to increase the number of child care facilities and places and to improve the overall quality of child care provision.

Some €110 million is already committed to a range of capital and staffing grants and to quality enhancement initiatives and my Department and I are wholly determined to deliver the Government's child care programme fully and effectively.

In developing the equal opportunities child care programme, my Department sought to make the best possible use of available resources to meet the developmental needs of the child care sector and, above all, to develop services to meet the needs of children and their parents who may be in education, in training or in employment. The measures which were developed under the programme seek to increase the supply of child care places, to support child care places in areas of disadvantage and to increase the quality of child care through the development of child care training, networks and other initiatives. It was considered that existing statutory bodies already provide child care training and that it would be inappropriate to fund the direct provision of child care training from the equal opportunities child care programme. As a result, projects such as that referred to by the Deputy do not qualify for grant assistance under the main measures of the equal opportunities child care programme.

It is open to county child care committees to provide funding for the direct provision of training for local groups in the event that the activity being proposed meets with the strategic focus of the local county child care committee and, obviously, that the county committee supports the granting of funding for that purpose.

With regard to the particular proposal referred to by the Deputy, I have been informed by the child care directorate of my Department that an application for funding under the equal opportunities child care programme was received from An Cosán in July 2001. As the project relates to the direct provision of child care training and is local in nature, it was transferred for consideration to the south Dublin county child care committee and the promoters of the project were advised to contact the south Dublin committee regarding their requirements.

It is my understanding that while no decision has yet been taken by the south Dublin county child care committee in relation to this project, the committee may not be in a position to fund this project at present. I further understand that An Cosán has commenced part of the project, involving some 20 participants, with the aid of local fundraising.

In the event that the south Dublin county child care committee is unable to support this proposal, the project managers might contact the child care directorate in my Department which will explore the availability of funding for this purpose under the employment and human resources operational programme of the national development plan.