Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Some of my questions have been answered. On the implementation of the action plan in response to the recommendations from the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes, I want to ask about fast-tracking the medical cards. I have been speaking to survivors. Good quality healthcare is so important here. Maybe the Minister could come back to me on that.

We spoke a lot today about Tusla and funding. Is there going to be any help through Tusla for women and children trying to flee domestic violence? The Minister is launching the public consultation on the Government strategy to combat gender-based violence next week and is committed to providing refuges in the nine counties that do not have one. Carlow is one of them. I have spoken to the Minister about it and have had several meetings with the Minister, Deputy McEntee. When we speak about refuges and wrap-around services, there are significant issues when we come to safe accommodation across the country, including in Carlow and my own area. We need to have proper supports in place working through the local authorities, like education and counselling services. As provision of women's refuges falls under so many different Departments, it is becoming a big issue and so are the services. I am aware that it is under the remit of the Minister, Deputy McEntee. I refer to all the other services involved, such as children's services and local authorities for a mother who needs to be housed. If we do not get all the services right we are going to fall down. Do we need to set up a group or what do we need to do to make sure that all the different Departments are involved? It is not just one are; it is a lot of areas.

I have spoken to the Minister several times about the cost of childcare. I welcome that he is fully understanding of it and knows how much it is costing people. He is addressing the issue of pay for childcare professionals with the funding. These are issues that we really need to look at.

Child poverty has been mentioned. In my own area of Carlow, families and schools have contacted me where children have left school because the mothers had to send them to a school with DEIS status to get the hot meals programme. We have schools that do not quality for DEIS or are trying to get DEIS status. That is another area. We have seen so many cases recently. The cost of living is another area that has really been affected here. Parents have so many bills to pay with the cost of living, whether it is ESB, trying to put petrol in their car, trying to feed children or trying to pay the mortgage. There are huge issues and they are all starting to come together. We need to make sure that we address all areas.

I want to ask about education. It has come to my attention that the education and training board, ETB, and the back to education initiative, BTEI, are not accepting new learners from the Carlow early years training scheme for childcare modules. This means any new participant who is starting on the childcare scheme will not be able to start their level 5 or level 6 childcare module until after September 2022. They used to be able to do it in stages but this is not the case now. The new curriculum participants are not being given the opportunity-----