Responding to the minister in the Dáil today over the water restrictions imposed on Dublin after Storm Emma. Responsibility for water as a utility should never have been taken out of the council’s hands and given to Irish Water.

Due to adverse effects of weather there is an extension of the 2018 Early Years and School Age Capital application window by three working days, to Wednesday the 14th of March 2018 at 3pm.

Services are invited to apply for €6.8m in funding for extra spaces,
natural outdoor play areas and maintenance work, across the following five
strands.

|  Purpose of grant |  Max. Grant
|                   |  available
——————-+——————-+——————-
Strand 1 (Early  |  Expansion/New    |  €50,000
Years)           |                   |
——————-+——————-+——————-
Strand 2 (Early  |  Essential        |  €20,000
Years)           |  Maintenance      |
|  (Community only) |
——————-+——————-+——————-
Strand 3 (Early  |  Natural outdoor  |  €7,000
Years)           |  play area        |
——————-+——————-+——————-
Strand 4 (School |  Expansion/New    |  €20,000
Age)             |                   |
——————-+——————-+——————-
Strand 5 (School |  Essential        |  €10,000
Age)             |  Maintenance      |
|  (Community only) |

Childcare  providers  are  encouraged  to  contact  their local City/County
Childcare  Committee  (CCC)  for  any  help or guidance they may require in
completing  their  applications  for capital funding before the application
window closes.