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Contact: General Enquiries

Email: eecu@pobal.ie

Telephone: 01 511 7000

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Testimonials

Bocan Community Creche

Bocan is the most affordable childcare and it offers a great service as my daughter has cerebral palsy. She needs extra care and the staff have been brilliant in giving her that attention that she needs. They continue with her speech and physio and as a result her progress has been outstanding, I cannot thank them enough. They have been a big help for me as well in getting her the extra care that is needed for her to continue with her time at Bocan.


Parent

Bocan Community Creche, Donegal
 
The National Childcare Investment Programme 2006-2011 was a major programme of investment by the government in childcare infrastructure. Building on its predecessor (the Equal Opportunities Childcare Programme 2000-2006), the NCIP Capital programme set out to further increase the number of childcare places available in Ireland, with specific emphasis on creating additional pre-school (3-4 years) and school age places. The funding was open to both community and private childcare providers and was administered by Pobal on behalf of the Department of Children and Youth Affairs.
 
Pobal's Role

Pobal managed both the National Childcare Investment Programme and its predecessor The Equal Opportunities Childcare Programme.  Both programmes saw an investment by the State of more than €410m in early education and childcare facilities right across the country.  Pobal managed the application, appraisal, allocation, contracting and administration of that investment.  For a number of years to come Pobal will be  managing the commitments that funded services have in providing services in return for the funding.  In the event that a service does not deliver on its commitments Pobal pursues performance of the contract and the recovery of the investment as necessary.   Pobal works to support the performance and sustainability of funded services in the first instance. 
 
The total number of childcare facilities funded under the NCIP Capital Programme was 854 (of which 351 were community based and 503 were private services). A total of €182.5m was awarded under the programme.
 
The objective of the NCIP programme was to create additional childcare places, with a specific focus on creating places for the preschool (3-4 years) and school age cohorts.
 
When the NCIP closed at the end of 2011, its funding was supporting a total of 72,146 childcare places nationally. Of this number, 24,487 were new/additional places created with the support of the funding; the remaining 47,659 were existing childcare places maintained/enhanced with the support of the NCIP.