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

It is good to have it, but when I saw it would not happen until September 2024, I was frustrated. I am passionate about these issues, like others here are.

On pay, I met with many childcare providers and their staff when I met Ms Dunne. Two women told me that they could not get a mortgage. We have educators in the system who are not able to qualify for a mortgage. This needs to be worked on. We are passionate about it. I am constantly speaking to the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman. I have written down all the issues raised today and I will go back to the Minister.

With the Minister, Deputy Foley, we spoke about delivering equality of opportunity in schools, DEIS and disadvantaged areas. There have been gamechangers in primary schools, such as the hot meals programme for DEIS schools. The Government is looking at providing a hot meal in all schools, free book schemes in primary schools, now going up to junior certificate level. These are the things we need to start looking at for our early years childcare providers. We need to start looking at additional funding for and investment in childcare. There are changes, as all the witnesses said, but we need a lot more. This committee is passionate about doing what it can to promote childcare providers, work with them and help in any way we can.