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Child Care Services.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 12 April 2005

Tuesday, 12 April 2005

Ceisteanna (715, 716)

Breeda Moynihan-Cronin

Ceist:

764 Ms B. Moynihan-Cronin asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform when application forms will be issued for staffing grants for community-based child care facilities; when those grants will be awarded; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10929/05]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Breeda Moynihan-Cronin

Ceist:

765 Ms B. Moynihan-Cronin asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the criteria which are used to allocate staffing grants to community-based child care facilities; if the grant is allocated on the basis of the number of children in the facility or the number of staff, or both; if he has satisfied himself that this is a fair and equitable way of allocating this funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10930/05]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

I propose to take Questions Nos. 764 and 765 together.

As the Deputy may be aware the Equal Opportunities Childcare Programme, EOCP, 2000-2006 provides grant assistance towards the staffing costs of community based/not-for-profit child care services which have a clear focus on disadvantage.

Supports towards staffing costs under the EOCP are only made available to projects which can demonstrate that they are providing child care in areas of significant disadvantage and that they are supporting disadvantaged parents to access employment, education or training. It is not intended that the EOCP funding will meet the full costs of running a service.

Every consideration is given to all applications when they are being assessed for funding. Applications for staffing funding undergo a thorough assessment by Area Development Management Limited, ADM, which has been engaged by my Department to carry out the day-to-day administration of the EOCP grants. Following this assessment all applications are then considered by the programme appraisal committee, which is chaired by my Department, before I make a final decision in regard to funding.

The criteria used during the assessment and appraisal of all applications for staffing grant assistance includes the socio-economic and demographic profile of the area; the quality of the proposal; the capacity of the group to implement the project; the level of integration and co-ordination; and if the proposal represents value for money. The level of funding will not normally exceed €63,487 per annum for full time services or €31,743 per annum for part time child care services.

In a number of services, the levels of disadvantage among parents are such that the families would be unable to pay economic fees and therefore those services are likely to require ongoing State support towards their staffing costs. My Department is currently reviewing the arrangements for the ongoing support of such services in very disadvantaged areas, in cases where they will have received staffing grant assistance for three or more years, at any date prior to 31 August 2005. Information regarding the outcome of the review will be forwarded to the groups in question as soon as it is available.

The relevant groups have been informed that their existing level of funding for staffing grant assistance will be continued up to 31 August 2005, subject to the groups maintaining their forecast levels of service and implementing any conditions associated with the development of the service in regard to previous grant approvals. The amounts awarded are deemed sufficient to enable the groups to maintain their approved level of service.

Application forms are available from the child care directorate of my Department for first-time applicants for staffing grant assistance. In the interim, it would be premature of me to comment further on future staffing grant assistance.

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