Fine Gael TD for Limerick, Patrick O’Donovan, has welcomed the announcement of funding totalling €44,418 for childcare services in Limerick County. The allocation comes as part of the second round of Childcare Capital Grants awarded since 2008. Nationwide €2.75 million is being allocated to 671 childcare providers.
“It is vitally important to invest in children in their early years and I am delighted that for the second year in a row, the Minister for Children, Frances Fitzgerald TD, has been able to make funding available to support childcare services around the country. Local service providers will directly benefit from this funding. The allocation of €44,418 to Limerick County is a welcome investment that will help to ensure that we continue to improve the quality of early childhood care and education in our area.
“This year’s funding scheme of €2.75 million covered four strands:
· Small grants to purchase equipment or carry out small maintenance work, as assessed by the local childcare committees
· Grants to improve accessibility of services for children with disabilities
· Grants to provide natural outdoor spaces that promote active outdoor play
· Grants towards critical works to ensure that buildings are fit for purpose under the childcare regulations (open to community/not for profit services)
“I understand that all submitted applications were considered in order to find those that most closely met the criteria and objectives of the programme. Applications that were successful were those that represented the most complete, coherent, and compelling cases for funding with particular consideration given to additional supporting material and the level of deprivation of the areas according to the Pobal Haase index. I would like to congratulate all of the successful applications in Limerick.
“This investment is being targeted to have high impact on the successful childcare providers involved. Funding will go towards providing safe outdoor play spaces in childcare services, improving buildings and supporting services to ensure that children with disabilities have better experiences within early year’s settings.
“Minister Fitzgerald has consistently identified improving pre-school education as one of her top priorities. Government funding of the pre-school sector can help to support parents’ participation in the workforce, and provides children with the best possible start to their education.”