Ms Niamh Kelly:

Yes, it does. Childcare does not stop being an issue in the summer months, no more than children stop being dependent on their parents at 14 years of age. We would like the scheme to be available throughout the year and cover more age groups. We view it as very positive and parents and society at large view it as beneficial. However, some parents who live in rural areas must travel a distance to reach their nearest childcare provider. Restricting the time to just three hours almost makes it not worthwhile for them to avail of the scheme which in general we would like to be expanded.

This week Barnardos commenced a survey of back to school costs. As many as 1,200 parents have answered our questionnaire in just three days, which is higher than the normal response rate. Schools do some good work on an ad hocbasis. For example, some now allow children to wear generic uniforms, while some have incorporated an all-encompassing schoolbook rental scheme such that some parents no longer have to pay a lot of money. They no longer have to make voluntary contributions or when they do, the contributions are voluntary. We know that such things happen on an ad hocbasis and that costs may be much higher at a school down the road. We would, therefore, like the Government to provide schools with an appropriate amount of funding and leave parents to provide the implements children need to learn. That is why we ask the Department of Education and Skills to provide funding for schoolbooks because they are essential to a child's learning. Children need schoolbooks in order to go to school. The State should provide such funding, as happens in the United Kingdom. Deputy John Brady referred to workbooks. Again, the cost varies greatly. There is huge inequality in terms of children's access school in what is supposedly a free education system.

Senator Gerald Nash suggested voluntary contributions should be prohibited. We would like contributions to be just to fund voluntary activities, not for a list of other things. We have received feedback from parents that schools have asked for voluntary contributions in order to provide toilet paper in school toilets or to keep the lights on. Parents should not be forced to pay for such things. We also believe parents should not be singled out or pressurised into making contributions. Many parents have given us a lot feedback on this matter. They have informed us that their children have been singled out in class or that letters have been sent home with children. We believe children should not be made aware of such contributions in their days-to-day school life. Rather than a prohibition being placed on voluntary contributions, we want the capitation grant to be increased to a point where schools would have enough funding and, therefore, there would no longer be a need to ask parents to make voluntary contributions.

Barnardos would like a payment to be made available to families living in emergency accommodation. It works with such families who have told us that their child support costs are higher as oftentimes they do not live near the school or preschool. They may have to pay twice the cost when they have children in preschool and school. They may also have health appointments to attend. All of these costs add up. There is a scheme in place whereby families are given a topped up Leap card. Unfortunately, the scheme is not available everywhere and we know that families cannot access the scheme in Cork city.

Families who live in emergency accommodation find that providing food is extremely expensive. A scheme of family hubs has been introduced, which is a positive step. However, we share the concern expressed by Senator Alice-Mary Higgins about institutionalisation or making such accommodation the norm. Unfortunately, around 60% of the children in question still live in bed and breakfast or hotel accommodation and do not live in family hubs. Therefore, their families do not have access to cooking facilities. We do not want such accommodation to become the norm for children and want the practice to end immediately. We want the Government to invest more and action to be taken to tackle the social housing crisis. In the interim, families living in emergency accommodation should be provided with support. As they cannot cook for themselves, they must eat out all of the time, which is a huge cost. Families with older children or children in varying age groups face huge social costs. As they live in small rooms, there is not a lot parents can do with their children. The parents must take them out of the rooms and go somewhere else, which costs money. When the weather is nice, one can visit a local park, etc., but what can parents do with their children in the wintertime when they live in such a small space and their children need to go outside and play? Many hotels and bed and breakfast establishments prohibit children from playing on the surrounding grounds. Therefore, families cannot avail of outdoor spaces in the places where they live. I have outlined our rationale for introducing a payment for families who live in emergency accommodation. Our calculations are based on the increased qualified child payment and on the number of children who live in emergency accommodation which, unfortunately, stands at over 38,000.

Deputy Joan Collins mentioned the impact austerity had on people's health and well-being. I echo what my colleague, Ms Connolly, said in her opening statement for Barnardos. The impact of austerity policies on children has been acute and severe. Children develop at a greater rate in childhood than at any other time in their lives. The cutbacks and lack of services have had a more severe impact on children than on adults. We would like the Government to focus less on tax cuts and more on investment in services. We see value in community services being available to children and I mean wraparound services that start pre-birth and last until children reach adulthood. Barnardos wants the budget to focus on such services.