Alan Farrell (Dublin Fingal, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Taoiseach. Childcare is the overarching issue that always comes up at the Joint Committee on Children and Youth Affairs. The launch of the national childcare scheme will happen shortly. It is a major development. However, we can never do enough in this sphere because we are so far behind where we should be as a state. While an unprecedented budget has been provided for the Department of Children and Youth Affairs, one of the meaningful steps we must take is dealing with rates. This point has been raised repeatedly at the committee and in the Dáil. Waivers of rates apply in some instances but not in others. It depends on whether provision is entirely dependent on the early childhood care and education, ECCE, scheme or some private work is also undertaken.

The other issue for consideration is adopting a uniform approach to the after school set-up. I refer, in particular, to using the State's assets, namely, schools throughout the country, to provide after school care. Some meaningful step is needed in that area.