Dan Neville
Ceist:391 Mr. Neville asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the position regarding the continuation of a staffing grant for Rathkeale community crèche. [13958/05]
Amharc ar fhreagraWednesday, 4 May 2005
Ceisteanna (364)
Freagraí scríofa
The Equal Opportunities Child Care Programme, EOCP, 2000-2006 provides grant assistance towards the staffing costs of community based or not-for-profit child care services which have a clear focus on disadvantage and which can demonstrate that they are supporting disadvantaged parents to access employment, education or training.
As the Deputy may be aware, the group in question was awarded staffing grant assistance of €190,461, over three years, in August 2001. Staffing grants are normally made available for three years in the first instance. I approved the continuation of the existing levels of staffing grant assistance until 31 August 2005 for those groups whose first three-year funding elapsed and who showed, following a short reassessment, that they were continuing to deliver child care services in accordance with their targets.
With regard to the Rathkeale community crèche, I am told that its service is currently being assessed for continuation staffing funding by Area Development Management Limited, ADM, which is engaged to administer the grants on my behalf. ADM has been in dialogue and in correspondence with the group and is awaiting the group's March 2005 quarterly return in order to advance this short assessment process. When ADM receives the necessary information, it will be considered by the EOCP appraisal committee, chaired by my Department, and the group will be informed of the outcome as soon as possible.