HC Deb 29 March 2000 vol 347 cc133-5W
Mr. John D. Taylor

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if an application for a nursery unit at Kircubbin Integrated Primary School would be eligible for financial support from the childhood funds; and if he will make a statement. [116087]

Mr. George Howarth

No. The deadline for commitment of funds under the EU Special Support Programme for Peace and Reconciliation was 31 December 1999, and no new project could be approved at this stage.

Mr. John D. Taylor

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland at which locations nursery units have been provided with financial support from the childhood funds; how many of these units are associated with the Council of Catholic Maintained Schools; how many children of(a) Catholics and (b) Protestant background attend each of the units associated with the CCMS; and if he will make a statement on the impact of the EU package for peace and reconciliation on provision of cross-community nursery units. [116086]

Mr. George Howarth

Capital funds under the EU Childhood Fund were distributed on the basis of applications received and considered in the first place by the relevant Area Early Years Committee (AEYC), which made recommendations to the Department of Education. The Department considered and approved applications on the basis of whether the proposed provision: was sited where it would have maximum educational impact, in targeting area of greatest social/educational need; would create access for as many children as possible; and represented good value for money, taking account of viability considerations in particular.

The deadline for commitment of funds under the EU Special Support Programme for Peace and Reconciliation was 31 December 1999.

Nursery units have been provided or offered funding at the following locations under each tranche of the EU Childhood Fund:

Tranche 1

  • Ashlea Primary School, Londonderry
  • Barrack Street Boys' Primary School, Strabane
  • Bushmills Primary School
  • College Farm Nursery School, Armagh
  • Enniskillen Nursery School
  • Glendermott Primary School, Londonderry
  • Harpur's Hill Primary School, Coleraine
  • Kilcooley Primary School, Bangor
  • Old Warren Primary School, Lisburn
  • St. James' Primary School, Whiteabbey
  • St. John's Primary School, Carnlough
  • St. Joseph's Primary School, Newry
  • St. Patrick's Primary School, Castlederg
  • St. Patrick's Primary School, Crossmaglen
  • St. Patrick's Primary School, Cullyhanna
  • St. Patrick's Primary School, Dungannon (one unit in the school, one unit in Ballysaggart estate)
  • St. Patrick's Primary School, Newry
  • St. Ronan's Primary School, Lisnaskea
  • West Winds Primary School, Newtownards

Tranche 2

  • Holy Family Primary School, Magherafelt
  • Kircubbin Community Nursery
  • Limavady Nursery School
  • Magherafelt Nursery School
  • Newcastle Primary School
  • North Lurgan Nursery School
  • Portavogie Primary School
  • St. Patrick's Primary School, Loughguile
  • St. Peter's Primary School, Ardboe

Tranche 3

  • Annalong Primary School
  • Bally ward/Drumadonnell
  • Clonoe Nursery School
  • Cookstown Nursery School (additional room)
  • Edwards Primary School, Castlederg
  • Killowen Primary School, Lisburn
  • Longtower Primary School, Londonderry
  • McKinney Primary School, Dundrod
  • St. Laurence's Primary School, Fintona
  • St. Patrick's Primary School, Rasharkin.

Twenty-one of the projects are associated with the Council for Catholic Maintained Schools.

In October 1999, the religious backgrounds of children attending each of the Tranche 1 nursery units associated with CCMS were as follows:

School name Roman Catholic Protestant Other Total
Barrack Street Boys' Primary School, Strabane 52 0 0 52
College Farm Nursery School, Armagh 51 1 0 52
Glendermott Primary School 25 0 1 26
St. James' Primary School, Whiteabbey 25 46 2 73
St. John's Primary School, Carnlough 31 1 0 32
St. Joseph's Convent Primary School, Newry 78 0 0 78
St. Patrick's Primary School, Castlederg 51 0 0 51
St. Patrick's Primary School, Crossmaglen 52 0 0 52
St. Patrick's Primary School, Cullyhanna 26 0 0 26
St. Patrick's School, Dungannon 72 0 1 73
St. Patrick's Primary School, Newry 73 0 0 73
St. Ronan's Primary School, Lisnaskea 50 0 0 50

The nine projects under Tranches 2 and 3 which are associated with CCMS have not yet opened.

The EU Special Support Programme for Peace and Reconciliation has facilitated the provision of several new cross-community nursery units and has provided a very welcome 14 per cent. increase in the availability of pre-school education across Northern Ireland generally. Many nursery units of all management types have an established pattern of cross-community attendance, and all funded pre-school education provision is and will continue to be open to children from all sections of the community.