Jonathan O'Brien
Ceist:255. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the capital allocation across her Department in each of the years 2018 to 2022. [20444/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraWednesday, 9 May 2018
Ceisteanna (255, 256, 257)
Jonathan O'Brien
Ceist:256. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her Department's capital allocation for projects underway and projects already tendered or committed to spending contractually. [20461/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraJonathan O'Brien
Ceist:257. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her Department's capital allocation in each of the years 2018 to 2022 disaggregated according to capital allocated to projects underway, projects contractually committed to and projects yet to be initiated. [20478/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
I propose to take Questions Nos. 255 to 257, inclusive, together.
The National Development Plan sets out the Government`s capital investment priorities that will underpin the new National Planning Framework. My Department has been allocated €156 million in capital expenditure over the period 2018-2022 under the Plan as set out in the following table:
|
|
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
|
Capital Allocations (€ million) |
28 |
32 |
31 |
32 |
33 |
The €28 million allocation for 2018 is being deployed to support the following:
- €6.860 million towards the Early Years and School Age Capital Grants Scheme to facilitate expanding and improving early years and school age facilities by childcare providers.
- €3 million towards the Youth Capital Funding Scheme to support targeted staff-led youth projects across the country and a Capital Grant Scheme for Play and Recreation to support new and existing play and recreation amenities for children and young people.
- €13.940 million for Tusla to meet existing contractual commitments such as the completion of the roll-out of the National Child Care Information System and to commence new projects including the roll-out of the first phase of the agency`s ICT strategy, commence refurbishment of front-line services facilities and staff accommodation and a programme of minor capital works.
- €4.2 million for a range of remedial and improvements works at the Oberstown Children Detention Campus.
It is not possible at this time to identify specific projects that will be funded under the Plan from 2019 to 2022 but I can confirm the resources will support continued investment in the following areas:
- Childcare, to ensure quality and supply of sufficient childcare places.
- Youth services that support and target disadvantaged young people and improve their employability.
- Tusla, through the continued development of ICT and standards of accommodation, and
- Oberstown Children Detention Campus through the provision of safe and secure places.
In addition to this, the Plan also contains a commitment to provide an additional €250 million to support the implementation of a 10 year, cross-Government Early Years Strategy to be published in 2018. One of the core objectives of this strategy will be to increase the proportion of children who have access to high quality, early years care and education. Officials in my Department are currently examining possibilities for a multi-annual capital programme for childcare as well as research on existing capital holdings and future capital needs for the sector, at national and local level. Once gathered, this data will be used to inform large-scale, targeted capital investments in childcare.