Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)

The Taoiseach has no familiarity with the issue. The Government is not aiding child care through what the Taoiseach called "equal opportunities child care programmes" as there is only one programme, the staffing grants of which he proposes to cut. By falling back on an argument about child benefit, the Taoiseach showed he has no knowledge of the cost of child care. Does the Taoiseach know the average cost of child care in this city and its surrounding areas is €150 per child per week and it is very little different in the rest of the country? In the Book of Estimates for 2005, the Government has frozen the provision for child care.

While there is no commitment to child care in the programme for Government, the Progressive Democrats promised in its manifesto to provide 40,000 additional child care places. Through its Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, the party is actually cutting the number of places which exist. It is a further example of the sort of spin we saw in relation to medical cards. The Progressive Democrats promised 40,000 additional places, but is cutting the number that are there. I cannot for the life of me understand why child care is the responsibility of the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform. I cannot see it being a priority for the Minister. The communication the Department has issued puts at risk dozens of child care facilities, such as they are, around the country.

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