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Departmental Programmes.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 5 October 2004

Tuesday, 5 October 2004

Ceisteanna (299)

Róisín Shortall

Ceist:

418 Ms Shortall asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of publicly funded child care places in Dublin 11; if he has satisfied himself that the number of places meets the demand for same; if he has further satisfied himself with the general level of affordability of these child care places for low income, and particularly single income, families; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23274/04]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

The total funding committed to date to community-based not-for-profit child care organisations in the Dublin 11 area under the equal opportunities child care programme 2000-2006 to date amounts to €4.49 million. Some 39 EOCP grants have been approved to date for the Dublin 11 area. It may be that other child care projects in the Dublin 11 area also benefit from support under other Government initiatives. Some 401 new child care places have been created in EOCP-supported projects in Dublin 11, while 575 existing child care places in Dublin 11 are being supported under this programme.

Funding for the programme through the EU and the Exchequer was recently increased to €449.3 million as a result of the mid-term evaluation of the EOCP and in recognition of the programme's achievements. The total funding committed under the equal opportunities child care programme up to the end of July 2004 is €264 million. More than 2,199 grants have been awarded to date to child care providers and community groups, which will, when fully drawn down, lead to the creation of 29,722 new child care places and will also support more than 27,567 existing places. Much of the unallocated funding is already earmarked for second phases of existing projects, particularly as a contribution to the staffing costs of community-based child care facilities which offer services to disadvantaged families.

The Deputy will also be aware that child benefit supports made available by my colleague, the Minister for Social and Family Affairs, have been increased very significantly in recent years to provide financial support to parents with regard to the care of their children.

There has been considerable demand from community-based groups for capital grant assistance under the programme and every county has benefited significantly from grants to provide new and enhanced community-based child care facilities and to support capital developments in the private child care sector. Area Development Management Limited, on behalf of my Department, is carrying out an extensive review of the programme's capital commitments to date, numbering more than 1,100 and at a value of €114 million, to ensure that all the grant commitments previously entered into will be realised. Projects may be awaiting planning permission or the completion of tender processes before reasonable assurance can be taken that they will proceed and, if they do not, the funding set aside can be decommitted and made available to another project. Expenditure under the programme covers the period to the end of 2007 and must take place in a planned manner, as must grant approvals, to ensure that the programme can meet its financial commitments at all times.

In addition, my Department has recently reviewed the different budget lines under the EOCP, including the capital programme, to ensure that the most effective use is made of all remaining funding in accordance with the programme's objectives. This has brought to €157 million the total allocation for the capital development of child care under the present programme. At the same time, an extensive review of child care provision on the ground has taken place to identify obvious service gaps, the filling of which will be a priority using the remaining capital funding which amounts to approximately €35 million. Some €25 million of this is being earmarked for community-based not-for-profit child care groups which provide services for young children to support their parents who may be in employment, education and training.

I intend to allocate the remaining capital funding under this strand of the Government's commitment to child care to address the most immediate service gaps. As a result, all the projects in the pipeline on 30 April 2004 have been reviewed again by Area Development Management Limited on the basis of geographical need, the range of services being offered, value for money and the capacity of the groups to complete a project before the end of the programme in 2007. Those projects which best meet the criteria will receive priority funding from the capital funding which remains unallocated at this point.

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