Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 23 June 2020
770. Deputy Anne Rabbitte asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the availability of capital grants for non-Covid-19-related works that need to be carried out urgently; if emergency funding of €20,000 will be made be available for a service that is provided through a prefab to update its facilities in order that the service will not be forced to close in August 2020; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12371/20]
View answerSince 2015 my Department has administered an annual capital funding programme, under which service providers are invited to apply for capital funding to increase the capacity of their services, and to maintain and improve their services. Providers can apply for funding if they are registered with Tusla. Services must register with Tusla before they can open and provide childcare services.
In 2020 I secured €7.2m in capital funding for early learning and care (ELC) and school age childcare (SAC). I suspended the Capital Programme on 26 March, due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
In accordance with the Government Roadmap for Reopening Society and Business, and guided by the expert advice of the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HSPC), ELC and SAC services can begin to resume from 29 June. In response to this, I have decided to use the funding that was allocated for this year’s ELC and SAC Capital Programme to provide grants to assist with the costs of supporting ELC and SAC services to reopen and adhere to public health requirements. I have increased the allocation for this once-off capital grant to €14.2m as all registered, centre based and childminding services re-opening between 29 June and the beginning of September can apply for this grant.
This grant can be used by services to help them to adhere to the reopening guidelines by improving hygiene facilities and outdoor play areas. This will reduce the risk posed by COVID-19.
If non-Covid-19 related funding is required, a number of supports were available before the COVID-19 pandemic to improve the sustainability of services during normal times, and these remain available now. The Department oversees a Case Management process through which local CCCs and Pobal work together to assess and provide support to early learning and care services experiencing difficulties. Financial supports, which are also accessed through Case Management, are available for community services presenting with sustainability issues following a financial assessment by Pobal. Pobal co-ordinate the overall case management process with the CCC administering initial, and on-going, case management assistance. All services who require support should contact their local CCC in the first instance.
