Frank Fahey (Galway West, Fianna Fail)

Deputy Twomey raised the issue of a mother and father sharing their maternity leave entitlement. The maternity leave Act implements the EU pregnant workers directive 1992. This directive does not permit the mother to transfer a portion of her maternity leave to the father of their child. The father has an individual statutory right to parental leave of 14 weeks which may be taken at any time from the time the child is born up to the age of five. It is not a simple matter to make the change Deputy Twomey suggested because many such issues are governed by EU directives, as in the case of this specific issue.

An important point was made in respect of the process for adopted children making contact with their natural parents. That issue will be dealt with in a comprehensive way by my colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Brian Lenihan, in the legislation he is about to bring before the House.

Child care provision was referred to by a number of Deputies. When I was appointed Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children, the provision for child care was extremely poor. It has improved significantly. A total of €449 million is being spent on child care provision. Some €220 million is being allocated to private and community based child care providers. It is estimated that this will create 30,500 new child care places and will support more than 27,900 existing places on the completion of those projects. Some €43 million has been allocated towards quality improvement measures which include supports for the national voluntary child care organisations and the establishment of 33 city and county child care committees. While I accept the fair point made by Deputy Moynihan-Cronin that there is a continuous need for additional resources to be allocated to child care provision, with which no one could argue, it must be acknowledged that the increase in expenditure as a result of the equal opportunities child care programme 2000-2006 has been significant and it is making a significant contribution.

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