Colm Burke (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the delegates for their detailed contributions and the work they are doing. It is unfortunate that in the period 2000 to 2010, when huge funds were available, there was very little development in this area. A lot more should have been done during that ten year period. What was able to be done in the past three to four years was limited because of the lack of funding. It was stated 0.8% of GDP should be invested in child care, which equates to more than €1 billion. In the context of the current debate on spending, we need to look at from where this funding will come and how we plan to spend it. In planning for expenditure on the expansion of services, are the delegates suggesting this be done over a two or five year period?

On the current debate on the need for a second preschool year, do the delegates believe we should focus first on additional investment in the first preschool year, thus ensuring a better quality service and better support for those providing the service? Also, what is their view on providers being paid for only 30 plus weeks when there are 52 weeks in the year, which means that there is no adequate provision for service providers during a large part of the year?

On the self-employed and the 12 months parental leave issue, there are a huge number of people in this country who are self-employed. In some cases, a husband and a wife are self-employed. How does one deal with the issue of trying to provide support for them? There are many people who are working and do not have access to services, particularly people living in the greater Dublin area. How does one provide assistance for those who want to continue in their business rather than take leave lest their business declines? How can we support them in sustaining their workforce and business, while at the same time providing them with the support they require in terms of child care should they take leave from work? These are issues we also need to address.