Government announces €39m in childcare grants

THE Government said it is ahead of target for plans to create an extra 50,000 childcare places by 2010.

Children’s Minister Brendan Smith yesterday announced a grant of €39 million for 216 childcare providers around the country which he claims will create 7,000 places.

The funding is part of the €575m already promised over a four-year period under the National Childcare Investment Programme 2006-2010. Under the scheme, 25,000 childcare places have been created in the past two years.