Childcare facilities get €4.3m in grants boost

THE Government yesterday approved 71 grants making a further €4.3 million available for a mix of community-based and private childcare facilities.

Of those, five new high quality childcare facilities, which will ultimately cater for over 450 children, are being provided on selected IDA Business Parks around the country.

All told, the funding will lead to 940 new childcare places and will support over 400 existing places.

This is the first stage in the IDA’s strategy to increase the supply of quality childcare places and to enhance the services available as an integral part of these parks. These five facilities will involve an investment by the private providers of approximately 7 million.

Following public tender, successful applicants have been selected to provide the new high quality childcare service on parks in Athlone (Garrycastle), Galway (Parkmore), Tullamore, Kilkenny and Cork.

Tánaiste Mary Harney said this was just the start of a strategy being spearheaded by IDA Ireland, in line with government policy, to improve the quality of childcare services and to increase the number of childcare places and facilities available.

“Over the past 18 months IDA invited proposals from childcare providers for the design, construction, financing and operation of high quality childcare facilities on selected Business and Technology Parks.

"It is part of a national programme where the IDA will designate selected sites for sale, on a managed and controlled basis, for the provision of international standard childcare facilities,” she said.

The Tánaiste was speaking yesterday at the official opening of Grovelands Childcare, the first facility to commence operations under this initiative at the IDA Business and Technology Park, Athlone.

Grovelands Childcare is owned, managed and operated by Regina Bushell, a native of Athlone with over 26 years experience in the childcare field.

Ms Harney said that she was delighted to see that the quality, flexibility and range of services at these facilities was of the highest levels.