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The Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Frances Fitzgerald, T.D., today announced that €6 million in capital grant funding has been allocated to 290 childcare settings throughout Ireland. The aim of the fund is to provide support to childcare settings to address remedial/maintenance/renovation work and/or equipment for early education and childcare services.

Minister Fitzgerald stated, “I am delighted that the €6 million I secured in funding as part of Budget 2012 is now in the process of being distributed to childcare settings, in support of this vital sector. This capital programme represents my commitment, and that of Government, to the ongoing development of the childcare sector.”

The programme is a national programme and applications were invited from all 4,394 services contracted to Department of Children and Youth Affairs childcare programmes. All submitted applications were considered in order to find those that most closely and completely met the criteria and objectives of the programme.

The total amount of funding available was €6 million with an average application for nearly €27,000 being sought.

The programme was oversubscribed and extremely competitive. Applications that were successful were those that represented the most complete, coherent, precise and compelling cases for funding. The investment is being directed, to the best extent possible, to making the greatest impact possible by addressing the most urgent works and supporting the quality of services making the greatest impact for disadvantaged children and communities.

Minister Fitzgerald added, “I would like to thank all of those who took the time and effort to apply for funding under this programme and to compliment them for their commitment to improving the quality of the early years and childcare sector. I would also like to pay tribute to the work of Pobal in managing the significant volume of applications in a very professional, timely and efficient manner.”

Pobal will provide applicants with information to assist them in understanding the reasons for the outcome of their application and from today (Tuesday) applicants will be able to request a consultation regarding the treatment of their application via the Pobal website.