Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I make no apologies for asking some difficult questions because that is what I was elected to do. Representatives of the child care sector request me to do so.

With regard to childminders, I asked specifically about the abolition of the posts within the county child care committees throughout the country, which occurred in the past two years. I also asked about the amendments that would have included childminders in the vetting legislation. I asked also when the new national standards will be published. The Minister mentioned schemes being run in conjunction with the Department of Social Protection. How is the after-school scheme that was launched with the previous budget working or evolving?