Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees
Thursday, 28 February 2019
Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach
Estimates for Public Services 2019
Vote 1 - President's Establishment (Revised)
Vote 2 - Department of An Taoiseach (Revised)
Vote 3 - Office of the Attorney General (Revised)
Vote 4 - Central Statistics Office (Revised)
Vote 5 - Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (Revised)
Vote 6 - Office of the Chief State Solicitor (Revised)
John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source
I want to flag just two other matters to the Taoiseach. One is affordable childcare in the community delivered through family resource centres in the main. They are dealing with Pobal, and an issue is now emerging across counties. A new group has been formed on the basis that there is not enough flexibility within the oversight of Pobal oversight to allow for the various social disadvantages that occur in communities such as these. They are experiencing huge financial difficulty in meeting the Pobal requirements in terms of bureaucracy and red tape. This is something that will come to the fore in the next few weeks. I have raised it with the Minister concerned. I just ask that it be flagged because, as I said, it will be an issue and will affect those who are most marginalised in our society and who cannot afford to pay. We are just talking about flexibility. The issue will come up.
What is the Taoiseach's opinion on Dáil reform and on this style of new politics? His Department looks at Dáil reform. How does he think the Dáil has worked? Does he think this Dáil has given value for money?
No comments