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.

Parent groups and childcare providers believe there is still a huge shortage, which is pushing prices up.

Of the grants announced yesterday, 151 private childcare providers will receive a total of €9.5m. A further 65 not-for-profit or community-based schemes have been granted funding of €29.5m.

“By 2010 we expect to create 50,000 quality childcare places to meet identified local needs, based on the number of childcare places required and on the specific needs for pre-school services, school age children and wrap around services for children and parents,” the minister said yesterday.

Eight childcare providers will get more than €1m. These include: The Sean O’Casey Community Centre in East Wall, Dublin; the Giraffe Childcare and Early Learning Centre in Navan, Co Meath; Clar IRD in Claremorris, Co Mayo; Magherarney Community Childcare scheme in Monaghan; The Holy Cross Community Childcare Centre in Thurles; and the Tinahely Community Playgroup in Co Wicklow.

The funding is separate from the Childcare Subvention Scheme which is a new grant system for community-run, not-for-profit childcare providers.

The scheme will replace the old system of funding childcare based on the number of staff employed, and replace it with a scheme where funding is provided on the basis of the disadvantages of children enrolled.

Recent figures from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) showed Ireland has the second-highest childcare costs in Europe. The average cost of full-time crèche care is €625 a month — 18% of the average joint salary.