Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the witnesses for their presentations. It would be remiss of me not to comment on what Deputy Ó Laoghaire said earlier. The witnesses represent a considerable part of the child care workforce and they are focusing on staffing and finance concerns because that is part of the business model but it is separate to the scheme itself. It is important for that to be recognised and said.

It is amazing that the Association of Childhood Professionals, ACP, and Early Childhood Ireland, ECI, are on the one page, as it were, on the cost model and calculations in the sense that both groups said in their documentation and presentation that a review was not carried out in advance. I would like them to expand on the reason they see that as being a valuable tool. I am concerned when I hear a reference to zero-hour contracts because it raises the possibility of a race to the bottom in the child care sector.

The witnesses from the city and county childcare committees are very welcome. I was a big advocate of the group's attendance at this morning's meeting because it links into all of the child care providers around the country. There has been much talk about support but I am interested in hearing its representatives' perspective on the cost-benefit analysis because child care providers are running businesses. How do they view the sustainability of those businesses in the new model that is envisaged? I did not see the point addressed in the submission and I would be interested to hear the perspective of the witnesses.