Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 30 May 2001

Vol. 537 No. 3

Written Answers. - Departmental Funding.

John Perry

Ceist:

217 Mr. Perry asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the applications submitted from child care groups in County Sligo for funding from his Department and in the agencies under the aegis of his Department for 1999, 2000 and to date in 2001; the amount of funding requested; the amount granted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16168/01]

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

Under my Department's equal opportunities child care programme for 1998-99, I approved funding totalling £174,000 to three child care groups in County Sligo. Details of the applications received are given in Table 1 below.

Table 1 Equal Opportunities Childcare Programme 1998-1999

Child care Group	Grant Type	Amount requested	Amount approved
		IR£	IR£
Busy Bees Community Playgroup	Capital	82,000	65,000
	Training & Development	11,000	11,000
Resource House Project Committee	CapitalTraining & Development	26,04411,000	26,00011,000
Tubbercurry Childcare Steering Group	CapitalTraining & Development	50,00011,000	50,00011,000
Ballymote Community Playgroup	Capital	200,000	Not granted
Enniscrone Districts Comm. Dev. Council	Capital	80,000	Not granted

The Deputy will be aware that the current equal opportunities child care programme was launched in April 2000 and is for the seven year period 2000 to 2006. The total amount committed by my Department so far under the equal opportunities child care programme in the National Development Plan 2000 to 2006 to ten child care providers or childcare groups in Sligo is £726,841. Over 92 new child care places will be created and the retention of over 80 existing places in County Sligo will be assured as a result of this funding. This funding will also lead to improvements in quality and, in some cases, allow child care providers extend their opening hours. Details of these child care providers or child care groups are outlined in Table 2 as follows.

Table 2: Equal Opportunities Child care Programme 2000-2006

Childcare Group	Grant Type	Amount requested	Amount approved
		IR£	IR£
Busy Bees Daycare & Family Centre	Capital – Community based/not for profit groups	30,000	30,000
	Staffing – Community based/not for profit groups	150,000	150,000
	Staffing – School Age Childcare	244,705	Under assessment
Sligo Traveller Women's Project	Capital – Community based/not for profit groups	13,741.96	13,750
	Staffing – Community based/not for profit groups	165,500	111,200
	Staffing – School Age Childcare	108,152	Under Assessment
Kilmacowen Community Pre-School Playgroup	Staffing – Community based/not for profit groups	68,176	60,875
Mary Rooneys Playgroup, Ballisodare	Capital – Self-employed childcare provider catering for less than 20 children	6,403	6,403
Sligo Family Centre, c/o Sligo Partnership Co.	Capital – Community based/not for profit groups	174,269	Withdrawn byapplicant
	Staffing – Community based/not for profit groups	598,098	Withdrawn byapplicant
Jollytots Playgroup, Sooey	Capital – Community based/not for profit groups	92,263	92,263
	Staffing – Community based/not for profit groups	45,251	45,250
Sligo Northside Community Partnership Ltd.	Staffing – Community based/not for profit groups	67,100	67,100
	Staffing – School Age Childcare	Not specified*	Under Assessment
Naíonra Naomh Iosaf	Staffing – Community based/not for profit groups	150,000	Not recommendedfor funding
Aclare Family Resource Centre	Capital – Community based/not for profit groups	Not specified*	Under Assessment
Lifestart Family Centre, Sligo	Staffing – Community based/not for profit groups	218,069	150,000
Resource House Project, Cranmore	Staffing – School Age Childcare	Not specified*	Under Assessment
Co. Sligo Leader Partnership Co. Ltd.	Staffing – School Age Childcare	Not specified*	Withdrawn byapplicant
Tubbercurry Family & Childcare Resource House Project	Staffing – School Age Childcare	44,350	Under Assessment
Ballymote Youth Steering Group	Staffing – School Age Childcare	47,288	Under Assessment
CLASP – Community of Lough Arrow Social Projects Ltd.	Staffing – School Age Childcare	Not specified*	Under Assessment

*A number of applicants seeking funding for school age child care did not specify the amount of money required for their projects. These matters will be clarified in the course of the assessment process.