Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I think it would be a worthwhile exercise. The Minister has not yet been able to quantify the number of high-risk providers. As the broker or insurance provider is signalling that there will be a problem with high levels of risk, there is an awareness that a number of people will be in this category. If that were not the case, this issue would not have been raised in the course of the deliberations. I am concerned that no concrete solutions are being proposed as part of the Minister's efforts to address this issue. I do not doubt that most parents make great efforts to ensure the childcare providers they entrust to look after their children on a daily basis meet all the relevant standards. I would have thought that when the State spends tax resources on a childcare centre, it requires the provider to have public liability insurance.