Department rejects Leader financing of Childcare centre
Centre project in crisisAfter a two-year marathon by the volunteer directors of the project, and the staff of the 30 years old Naomh Bhride Community Playgroup, access to a key part of the required funding programme has been unexpectedly rejected by the Department. Even though the project had been approved in principle by the main funders, the County Kildare Leader Partnership, late last year. It was fully approved by the Board of CKLP in April.
In what the project's champions see as a 'backtrack' by the Department's EU Rural Development section, the project was rejected as 'ineligible' yesterday because it related to childcare. This despite the fact that the same body provided grant aid last year for the provision of a Project Manager to further the Centre, an application then clearly presented as a childcare project.
The Centre concept has received widespread support of the greater Kilcullen Community, and a substantial part of the required €450,000 was raised locally.
Devastated promoters of the project, which would eventually become a vital Resource Centre for the growing and relatively young families of Kilcullen have vowed not to accept the Departmental refusal, and are planning a number of events to highlight the idiocy of the move against the background of state and institutional neglect of children revealed in recent times.
A public meeting is being organised for next week, on Wednesday 19th June in the Heritage Centre, to detail the position and kick off a determined campaign to reverse the Department's decision. It is open to appeal, and to judicial review if necessary.
Kilcullen Community Childcare & Education Centre Ltd has employed a solicitor to develop the appeal and any further legal action that might be required.
Naomh Bhride Community Childcare caters for some 25 families, and is currently operating in prefab premises which have not been fit for purpose for some years.
