Nessa Cosgrove (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank Ms Ward for saying that. Likewise across the whole social care sector, section 37 and 56 workers are experiencing the same lack of pay parity.

Another question I wanted to ask was about the Equal Start programme. I can see from the witnesses' report and briefing that the greatest amount of children involved with community-based settings are experiencing high levels of poverty and hunger. Would the Equal Start programme be better targeting all of that money just towards community-based settings like Springboard settings or Lifestart rather than having it go to private providers or Equal Start. Is that programme available from private providers as well?