Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 24 May 2001

Vol. 537 No. 1

Written Answers. - Child Care Facilities.

Róisín Shortall

Ceist:

191 Ms Shortall asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the grant options available to a group of parents in Dunshaughlin, County Meath, who wish to establish a community-based child care facility; and if a representative of his Department will meet with this group in order to provide advice and support in setting up this facility. [15430/01]

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

It is open to community based not for profit groups to apply for capital and staffing grants under the equal opportunities child care programme, 2000 to 2006, which is operated by my Department. EU and Exchequer funding comprising £344 million has been allocated to my Department over the course of the national development plan between 2000 and 2006 to improve child care provision and quality throughout the country. The objectives of this funding are to increase the availability of child care places, to improve the quality of child care provision and to ensure the co-ordination of child care service provision on a local and national basis. This funding has an equal opportunities and social inclusion perspective and focuses on provision of child care to allow parents, particularly women, to avail of training, education or employment.

A Minister of State in my Department, Deputy Mary Wallace, met with this group in Dáil Éireann on Wednesday 16 May 2001, following which application forms were issued to the group. Two completed applications for capital funding have since been received by the equal opportunities child care section of my Department from the group, on 23 May 2001. These applications will now be forwarded to Area Development Management Limited, which will carry out a technical assessment of the applications on behalf of my Department. This will be followed by an assessment by the programme appraisal commit tee chaired by my Department before referral to me for final decision. As outlined in the general guidelines for funding measures, applications are assessed according to five criteria: the socio-economic profile of the area relating to the application, the quality of the proposal, the capacity of the applicant to implement the project, the level of integration and co-ordination and the costings or value for money of the proposal.

I will make a decision shortly after the completion of the assessment and appraisal process. In the interim, it would be premature of me to comment further on the applications. Colour RGB 0,0,128 The Minister of State or a representative of my Department will gladly meet again with this group to provide any advice or support required.