Frank Feighan (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)

I welcome this motion which "calls on the Government to radically modify the new proposed child care subvention scheme that the Government intends to become fully operational from 1 July 2008". I do not take great pleasure in this issue. For the last five years, Members have spent time attending the openings of crèches. They have observed how, from the bottom up, parents, children and teachers who provided care, have worked together in many communities, a considerable number of which were rural, to ensure their area was not left behind in the provision of child care. Many of the parents involved have gone to work and are delighted that the operation of this child care scheme over the past five years has provided them with the opportunity to enter the workplace. It has generated great self-esteem among the parents and their children. However, the proposed scheme may force parents to leave their employment and become dependent on social welfare schemes despite what we have been trying to achieve for many years. I visited Dromahair last Friday night and met hundreds of people who were extremely angry about this new scheme. That it targets disadvantage is to be welcomed. However, it is affecting the new disadvantaged, those on middle incomes and those who need this scheme to get into the workplace, to get ahead and to ensure that their children have the best child care places before they start school.

There is a saying "When you are in a hole, stop digging". The Minister is listening to all the signals. He knows about the public meetings being held around the country. He can hear the ordinary people, who have no interest in politics but have an interest in the future provision of child care and in providing for their children, who are telling us that this scheme is against the best interests of their children. We must listen to that. It is all right for us when we are in opposition, but the Minister is in government and I know he hears his party's Deputies and Senators talking about this. They are embarrassed by this scheme. Deputy O'Rourke said two weeks ago that the Minister should not listen to his officials but should do what he thinks is right. The officials in the Department are only considering the bottom line and do not care about what happens in rural Ireland. I know the cupboards are bare and that a lot of things were promised in the election, but this time the Minister should listen to his backbenchers and the people at public meetings. If he modifies the proposed child care subvention scheme I will not say it is a U-turn but will welcome the fact that the Government has at last seen sense.

The scheme affects people in rural areas who must travel to work. We must address this. This new scheme renders it impossible for crèches to recruit new staff on a permanent basis. How can people get a mortgage or a car loan when there is a cloud hanging over child care provision? I ask the Minister to sit down with the members of his parliamentary party and talk about this. I ask him to do the right thing and reverse this disastrous proposal. I will welcome it when he does so.

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