Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)

It appears that dozens of child care centres nationally are at risk as a result of the communication on behalf of the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform under the equal opportunities child care programme. Staffing grants for child care facilities are to be reviewed after 31 August. I draw the Taoiseach's attention especially to the statement in the communication that the Department wishes the services to be sustainable with effect from 1 September 2005 through a fair and equitable fee structure. In other words, the Department intends that with the exception of those in what it calls "gravely disadvantaged areas", a definition the meaning of which is unknown, the grants made available to community-based, not-for-profit child care facilities will be terminated and their sponsors directed to charge economic fees.

Does the Taoiseach know what the imposition of economic fees for child care will mean for parents on middle and lower incomes? Many families on middle incomes pay as much and in some cases more on child care than they do in mortgage repayments. The Taoiseach must know from being out and about at present that people living in the commuter belts around the city find it extremely difficult to source child care facilities and that where they can, fees sometimes exceed mortgage repayments. The little the Government is doing to address child care provision it now proposes to partially discontinue thereby putting dozens of child care centres at risk.

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