Ms Paula Grogan Ryan:

I will reiterate much of what my colleagues have said. I agree with Ms Donohoe regarding the grant application. I started three years ago and have had no funding whatsoever. It is all private funding, which adds to the cost, which is coming out of any money I have. This year we were allowed €500 when community services have received more. Inspections involve taking a staff member off the floor.

We have a very good HSE inspector. She is quite willing to sit and wait until the children have left to do the paperwork, which is great, so one is then going into non-contact hours again. We are now working after school has finished and we are not getting paid for that either, so either way it does not work.

I wish to speak about the two years for children with special needs. I have a little boy in my service at the moment whose mother is fighting for an assistant and I am also fighting for one. The principal in the primary school is also fighting for an assistant for him. We have failed on all counts even though we all know he needs it. We did apply to extend his year, so he had two days last year and he has three days this year. His mother has had to pay the balance for the rest of the five days. She has brought him five days but she has had to pay the balance for both years. I do not think that is right.