Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 25 April 2007
131 Dr. Cowley asked the Minister for Health and Children when the necessary staff funding will be awarded to a committee (details supplied) in County Mayo to establish this essential service; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15395/07]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, I have responsibility for the Equal Opportunities Child Care Programme 2000-2006 (EOCP) and the National Child Care Investment Programme 2006-2010 (NCIP), which are being implemented by the Office of the Minister for Children.
As part of the process of closing the EOCP, the final date for reaching contract stage, for Groups applying for funding under this programme, was 31 December 2006. As the Deputy will be aware, the EOCP is co-funded by the European Union and timescales agreed with the Commission must be observed as financial penalties will accrue to the State if they are not.
The Group in question submitted an EOCP staffing grant application to Pobal, which is engaged to assess EOCP and NCIP grants on behalf of my Office, in October 2006. Final information required to complete the assessment was received by Pobal from the Group on 6 December 2006. As it was not possible at that stage for the application to be brought through the assessment and appraisal process and to contract stage by 31 December 2006, it was recommended by the Programme Appraisal Committee that the Group's application under that Programme be declined and that the application be considered in the context of the forthcoming NCIP staffing grant scheme.
As the Deputy will be aware, every effort is being made to facilitate a seamless transition between the EOCP and NCIP and, in this context, I agreed to review the position for Groups such as the one referred to by the Deputy who will be in a position to open later this year but are not eligible for staffing grant funding under the EOCP. I am pleased to say that interim arrangements in respect of the period September-December 2007 have been put in place and the Group's application for staffing grant assistance can now be reconsidered. I understand that officials in my Office were recently in contact with the Group to this effect.
