Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

That is certainly not what the Government is doing. Our policy is to respond to child care needs by increasing the availability of child care places through the implementation of the national child care strategy in the equal opportunities child care programmes. We also assist parents with the cost of caring for their children through the provision of significantly increased child benefit which supports all parents irrespective of economic status throughout the childhood of their offspring.

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