10/06/2019

€6.25m Investment To Create 3,600 New Childcare Places

The Government has today confirmed the creation of 3,600 new childcare places as part of a €6.25 million investment.

The Capital funding is expected to create new places for children up to age three as well as those at school age.

Part of the money will also be allocated to make fire safety improvements for community owned services. The €6.25m will be distributed across three stands, as detailed below:

Strand A (Early Learning and Care): New places for 0-3 year olds

• €3.7m total approved (€50k max. grant)

• 87 applications approved for funding

• 1,321 new 0-3 places to be created: 205 0-1 places, 1,116 1-3 places

Strand B (Early Learning and Care): Fire safety improvements (community only)

• €0.3m total approved (€15k max. grant)

• 33 applications approved for funding

Strand C (School Age): New places for school age children

• €2.2m total approved (€20k max. grant)

• 118 applications approved for funding

• 2,308 new school age places to be created.

Announcing the new funding, Minister for Children and Youth Affairs Dr Katherine Zappone said: "Quality accessible affordable childcare requires investment. The funding being announced today will translate into over 3,600 new and extra spaces for children up to the age of 15. It is another step as we seek to address the decades of under-investment and neglect by successive governments. Overall Government investment in early learning and care has jumped 117% since 2015."



(JG/CM)

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