Mary O'Rourke (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)

I cannot promise to be as invigorated as Deputy Penrose but I echo everything he has said. I was at the opening of Little Blessings at which the Minister of State officiated and I thank him because he has agreed to meet a deputation, including Deputy Penrose and I, in Athlone next Monday.

The point missed in all of this is that many community, not-for-profit child care facilities already operated an informal tiered system before this grant idea was cooked up, or cocked up, in the Department. I speak as a person with five grandchildren, all of whom are under five and in very expensive private child care facilities. The money involved, after tax, is enormous. However, my bewailing this fact does not detract from the case I am putting forward and I suggest to the Minister of State, Deputy Smith, that the reason this issue has not burst into the public domain is that people are lulled by the idea of July 2008 being a long time away. It is not, however, because the process of limbering up for these changes is continuing.

I am sure the Minister of State is motivated by the purest of principles, attention to disadvantage, and nobody could decry this as a general principle. However, the income of some people gained through employment is so low that they may only just be able to afford the fee charged by the community not-for-profit child care facility. The Minister of State should ignore the boyos who say he is dead right and disparage women who want to work. I know there are boyos who will tell the Minister that — I have heard some of them from two of the parties in this House. I have heard them speak about women going out to earn money and suggesting they should be staying at home minding their children. It is an economic tenet of the Government to encourage women to go out and be part of the economic activity of their village, town or neighbourhood.

Whether a facility is in Ballymahon, Athlone, Ballynacargy, Abbeylara or Granard, each of them is as much a part of the economic revival that has taken place in this country as other enterprises. The reason is they ensure that women or men, whoever is the guardian of the children, can go to work in peace and comfort, knowing their children are being looked after properly and professionally. That is what is happening. When I saw the Estimate was on the agenda, I took the opportunity to come and say this to the Minister with responsibility for children.

I agree the special payment for people with children is wonderful and that anybody with three children under the age of six will get almost €9,000 per year in payments. That is a good sum of money and it is available, regardless of status. I praise the Government for introducing that provision. I approve of the way the system has developed. Private child care is available for those who want it, but the cost is significant. Community child care is available for those who want it, but it is a tiered system. However, it allows men or women who had no chance of taking up employment to do so. My plea to the Minister is to rethink the proposal to end the programme. I know what he faces because I was done and roasted once early in my time in the Department of Health and Children, until I got sense. No matter what officials say, I urge the Minister of State not to get roasted on this issue, and roasted he will be if this goes ahead.

See this speech in context