My Department provides funding to VECs to assist towards the child care expenses of participants in vocational training opportunities scheme, Youthreach and senior Traveller training programmes. The administration of grants to participants in these programmes is a matter for individual VECs.
City of Dublin VEC has indicated that it is not in a position to pay the child care fees for students on VTOS, Youthreach and senior Traveller training programmes until it receives the first instalment of the 2004 child care grant from my Department. This payment is currently in course of issue to all VECs.