Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

I wish to raise two matters with the Tánaiste. Does the Government intend to do anything about the significant job losses at Waterford Crystal or to meet the owners, management or employee representatives to discuss yesterday's announcement? What knowledge has the Government concerning the location to which the jobs are being transferred? Are they being transferred to the Czech Republic, as reported in Irish newspapers, or Slovenia, as reported in the Slovenian press?

The second matter relates to the next banana skin on which the Government is about to step, namely, the reduction in funding for community child care facilities. Currently, they are in receipt of certain funding for staff, but it will be withdrawn except in respect of the children of parents on social welfare payments or the family income supplement. Parents working and in receipt of low or middle incomes will experience considerable increases in child care costs in the middle of next year. Given the number affected, this will be a significant issue. What are the Government's plans to address it and will the Minister of State with responsibility for children abandon or change his plan to reduce the funding?

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