I represent the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law reform because he must attend to other business. I am delighted to have the opportunity to respond. Child care is an important priority for the Government and we have increased the funding provision for this sector on a number of occasions since we first made commitments to the broad child care sector in 1998.
The Equal Opportunities Childcare Programme 2000 to 2006 is a key element of the national development plan which aims to increase the availability and quality of child care to support parents in employment, education and training. The equal opportunities child care programme's original funding package of €318 million allocated in 2000 has now increased to just over €499 million to be spent within the life of the national development plan or before the end of 2007.
The funding package has increased because the Government is aware of the importance of providing child care to support the economy and to support social inclusion through labour market participation. This Government has listened to requests from the many groups throughout the country seeking to build child care facilities to meet local need. The Government has responded to those requests by making more capital funding available immediately to build on the momentum generated to date by the current equal opportunities child care programme in community groups throughout Ireland rather than await a new follow-on EOCP programme post-2006. Senator O'Meara may be aware that the Templemore Community Services Group was approved staffing grant assistance under the EOCP totalling €132,410 in November 2003, which provides it with an annual support of over €44,000 towards its staffing costs.
The Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform has informed me that the Templemore group has submitted a capital grant application for funding under the EOCP to his Department. An assessment of the group's application against the EOCP criteria was carried out by Area Development Management, ADM, Limited which is engaged by the Department to carry out thorough assessments of all applications for grant assistance. The application was further considered by the programme appraisal committee, chaired by the Department, which did not recommend to the Minister that he fund the project on the basis that it did not adequately meet the criteria of the programme in respect of the levels of service provision being proposed.
Specifically, it was considered that the planned project did not represent good value for money as it proposed a limited range of service types and operating hours and did not propose to offer a full day care service. The service will provide two sessional services running from 8.30 a.m. to 12 noon and from 12.30 p.m. to 4 p.m., thus providing part-time child care places only.
I am also informed by the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform that the Templemore group recently appealed the decision not to grant funding. ADM Limited will reassess the application in light of the appeal, take full account of any additional information the group may wish to offer in support of its application and consult with the group if necessary during the reassessment process. The outcome will then be considered by the programme appraisal committee, chaired by the Department, which will make a recommendation to the Minister regarding funding. Templemore Community Services will be informed of the outcome as soon as possible.
Funding under the equal opportunities child care programme is prioritised for those projects which most closely focus on the aims and criteria of the programme and clearly support the child care needs of parents in employment, education and training. Every county has benefited from considerable support for new child care facilities under the EOCP. In all, funding to create some 36,000 new places has been approved to date. When fully drawn down, this funding will bring an increase of over 63% in the number of centre-based child care places throughout the country since the start of the programme in 2000, which is well ahead of our original expectations.
Efforts are being made to achieve a good geographical spread through the appraisal and approvals process. County Tipperary has already been approved over €14.4 million under the child care programme with 42 capital grants approved to establish either new or quality-enhanced, community-based, not for profit or private child care facilities. The county has also benefited from 42 staffing grants to community groups which have a focus on disadvantage. This funding to child care providers in County Tipperary is leading to the creation of almost 1,400 new child care places and to the support of almost 1,000 existing places. Tipperary County Childcare Committee also receives an average of €400,000 in annual funding to support its developmental work through the implementation of its annual action plans.
The programme also makes grant assistance available towards the staffing costs of community-based, not for profit child care facilities which have a clear focus on disadvantage and support disadvantaged families who are in work, training or education. Such funding has already been made available to this group for its existing service.
I would like to reaffirm that the EOCP is the Government's response to the need to develop a child care infrastructure to support parents. I can inform the Seanad that there has been very significant progress in the creation of a good child care infrastructure and I hope Senator O'Meara will acknowledge the progress made to date, particularly in her own county of Tipperary.
