Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

I appreciate the Deputy asking specific questions, but these matters are under consideration in the context of the upcoming budget. One is much constrained by that.

The issue is how we increase options for people and ensure a greater supply of child care places. If we do not look at the supply side of the equation, any efforts on the other side will not have the impact one would like to see. It is a question of how this can be achieved in a way that will allow us begin to add to the significant resources already made available by Government.

In the past we gave a significant increase in child benefit, which was a universal payment to all parents. The sum in that area comes to €1.9 billion this year. Including the equal opportunities programme and other benefits and programmes, the total spend that can be allocated to this area now, apart from anything else the Government might do, is about €2.3 billion.

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