Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 3 July 2024
169. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the estimated cost to increase the building blocks improvement grant allocation by 10%, 20%, 25% and 50%. [28406/24]
View answerCapital funding has been allocated to the early learning and childcare sector under the revised National Development Plan (NDP). This will enable significant investment in early learning and childcare.
In 2024 and 2025, my Department is delivering capital investment through the Building Blocks Capacity Grant. The primary focus of the Building Blocks Capacity Grant Schemes is to increase capacity in the 1-3 year old, pre-ECCE, age range for full day or part-time care.
Under the Building Blocks - Improvement Grant, which operated in 2023, €9 million was allocated in grants ranging from €35,000 to €75,000 to fund energy upgrades or retrofit projects.
This scheme is now closed and my Department does not have any further capital funding available for this grant scheme. The table below provides what would be the indicative costs of increasing the Building Blocks Improvement Grant allocation by varying percentages:
|
Building Blocks – Improvement Grant Allocation |
Increase by 10% |
Increase by 20% |
Increase by 25% |
Increase by 50% |
|
€9,000,000 |
9,900,000 |
€10,800,000 |
€11,250,000 |
€13,500,000 |
