Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 5 November 2015
162. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the grant schemes available for preschool providers; if there are categories of grants which private providers of preschool education are not eligible to apply for; the reason private providers are not entitled to apply; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38742/15]
View answerMy Department currently provides funding of more than a quarter of a billion euro annually to support the implementation of a number of childcare support programmes that assist parents in accessing quality childcare. These childcare support programmes include the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme; three Training and Employment Childcare (TEC) programmes (i.e. Childcare Education and Training programme (CETS), Community Employment Childcare (CEC) programme and After-school Childcare (ASCC) programme) and the Community Childcare Subvention (CCS) programme. The ECCE programme and the TEC programmes are provided through both private and community/ not-for-profit services while the CCS programme is currently provided through community/ not-for-profit services only.
In Budget 2016, I announced an €85 million package of additional investment for childcare. This includes funding for:
- An extension to the ECCE programme, which will now allow children to avail of the free pre-school provision from age three until they make the transition to primary school;
- A suite of supports, which will ensure children with a disability can meaningfully participate in, and fully reap the benefits of the ECCE programme;
- An extension of the CCS programme by up to 8,000 places and, for the first time, making this programme available through private service throughout the country; and
- A resource which will allow important work to commence on consolidating existing targeted childcare support programmes, including the CCS and TEC programmes. It is envisaged that a new simplified targeted childcare support programme will be available through private and community/ not-for-profit and private services from 2017.
My Department also provides funding under the Annual Early Years Capital Programme.
- In 2012, capital funding of €6m was provided to fund a maintenance programme for services (i.e. to address remedial, maintenance and renovation work and to purchase equipment). This funding, which provided grants up to a maximum of €50,000, was available to private and community/ not-for-profit services.
- In 2013, capital funding of €2.75m was provided to support the on-going improvement of services. Both private and community/not-for-profit services participating in one of the national childcare programmes implemented by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs were eligible to apply for a grant under the Programme.
- In 2014, capital funding of €2.5 million for the maintenance and upgrade of community/not-for-profit services. The objective of this funding was to ensure that previously-funded community/not-for-profit services remained fit-for-purpose thus protecting State investment.
- In 2015, capital funding of €7 million was provided. Of this funding, €5 million was made available for grants specifically for community/not-for-profit services. This funding provided for the allocation of capital grant aid in the region of €500,000 for significant upgrades of services such as major refurbishment or relocation to new premises. Grants of up to €50,000 for essential maintenance, or works undertaken to improve the energy performance of community/not-for-profit services were also provided. The remaining €2 million was made available for both private and community/not-for-profit services to access grants of up to €500 for quality improvement measures, specifically in the area of upgrading IT facilities.
Funding will also be provided in 2016 as part of the Early Years Capital Programme. I am currently considered how best this funding can be targeted.
