Ciara Conway (Waterford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Often when we respond to a crisis we focus on structures. My concern is this must be about the practice, which gets lost. I am delighted Mr. Jeyes meets the inspectors. This all happens at senior level but the children about whom we are speaking live in Laois or Offaly and not in a boardroom in Dublin. The change needs to happen locally. I understand Mr. Jeyes has a responsibility to lead this change, but if we do not see it filtering down to the workers on the ground, who get the blame for everything, it is not good enough. We owe it to the children, whoever and wherever they are, because it is a concern there are other unknowns throughout the country.

We had a meeting on child care after the "Prime Time Investigates" exposé on crèches. The focus of the Government, of which I am a member, has been on structural change and not on the practice. The focus must be on the practice.