Sandra McLellan (Cork East, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I apologise on behalf of Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin who cannot attend today.

I thank the Minister for her extensive presentation, but, unfortunately, I have not had time to digest all of it. I would have preferred to have received it last night in order that I could have read, it but I will read it again after I finish.

Obviously, my party supports universal access to child care provision, but we also accept that the Minister must compete for funding for the Department's purse. In the absence of the required funds, we must cut our cloth to measure. If we had the funding sought, we would want to provide for a further year's entitlements, perhaps with a targeted approach in disadvantaged communities.

The report clearly states child care costs act as a barrier to employment. Some 45% of the average industrial wage is spent on child care. Many families do not earn the average industrial wage and low income families do not come anywhere near that income level. It is important that a child has a quality child care experience, but it has been stated it costs a family over €16,000 to have two children in child care. Many families would not be able to afford that sum; therefore, low income families who want to work are forced to avail of poor quality and unregulated child care services. It has also been stated many families rely on family and relatives to provide child care.

On the suggestion that child care should be linked with entitlement to a medical card, I am not sure that would be a good idea. Owing to all of the cutbacks, for many families supports are falling by the wayside. This does not just apply to child care; it also applies to school transport and everything else linked with the medical card. This issue needs to be looked at.

I turn to the issue of tax reliefs. While I agree that many families are not in the tax net, reliefs should be included to support universal access. Will the Minister explain what the review of the CCS and the CETS programmes will consist of?