The Government is to provide grants totalling more than €153 million over the next three years to help fund childcare places in disadvantaged communities.
Minister for Children Brendan Smith said the new Community Childcare Subvention Scheme will operate from 2008 to 2010.
The grants will be paid to community-based, non-profit childcare services to help them provide childcare places at reduced rates to disadvantaged parents, the Minister said.
"This . . . represents an increase of approximately 16 per cent in the funding provision in 2008 compared to 2007," Mr Smith said.
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The new childcare grants scheme will be funded through the National Childcare Investment Programme when the current Equal Opportunities Childcare Programme ends in December.