Ms Frances Byrne:

Yes, absolutely, consideration has to be given to transport if it is 45 minutes or an hour from school to crèche. If it is ten minutes or five minutes, as it can be in cities or suburbs, the children cannot bring themselves so many crèche-branded minibuses try to do that, particularly in the cities. Crèches have been addressing it, as have schools. There has been some collaboration.

The Deputy is hitting on an important point because it is not just about what happens within the crèche, although all of that is very important. Again, it goes back to planning. There must be consideration in a rural context, in particular, because of distances and so forth, and that is part of the overall picture, whether that is the Department recognising that through capital funding or the three Departments - Education, Transport and Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth - coming together to realise it. We are about to invest and we are optimistic, as my colleague from Big Start is, that the core funding is the beginning of major transformation, and that absolutely must be brought into the equation as well.

There is a gender dimension, of course, and I was going to say it earlier. Sometimes we talk up the Nordic countries. I have colleagues and friends who roll their eyes at Irish women, in particular, and say that with all the equality they have, they still get the telephone call from the crèche. My male partner does not get the telephone call from the crèche. I get it, even though the crèche has both names, and the expectation is that I will drop everything. I am not criticising the crèche. It goes back to the societal point. This is hugely gendered, but it is important.

If we are moving towards, as we should and as we have seen, strides being made in respect of urban and rural transport and consideration being given to walking and cycling, obviously all of that has to be done under supervision. All of that must be brought into the equation for children as we build a better, more child-friendly, child-centred and inclusive early years and school age system.