Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)

As the Minister is aware, St. Valentine's Day has just passed. Does the Minister have any consideration for a couple, both of whom are civil servants, who may have two children with child care costs of between €800 and €1,200 per month? One may be moved to Killarney with the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism and the other to Wexford with the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. Will the Minister take into account the impact on families in circumstances such as these? The Tánaiste has spoken of the need for the Government to have family-friendly policies. What will happen to the civil servants who refuse to move for family or other reasons, especially in cases where they provide specific technical expertise, as do many of those in FÁS? How will jobs be found for such people? They cannot all transfer into watching contracts in the Office of Public Works for the Minister of State, Deputy Parlon.

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