Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)

The Acting Chairman is from Tallaght, so he is tolerant. There is a difficulty regarding the amount of funding in the next tranche. According to the Department's figures, funding of €500 million in the first tranche provided 30,000 places. It is hoped the next tranche's funding of €575 million will provide 50,000 places, but the Government has not made the initial 30,000 places sustainable. People are expected to sink or swim, which is what former Deputy, Michael McDowell, tried to do while he was the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform. He was stopped in his tracks by the outcry and furore the proposal engendered among the public, a head of steam that is rebuilding.

According to the previous speaker, the Minister is so caring and good that he has allowed a year's lead-in and consultation, but that is not the case. When the programme was first published, the time cited was January 2008. The Minister extended that to next June because of the type of representation put in place last week in Cork. I worry when something is extended to June and implemented in July. As we know, the Government will be on holidays and assuming that others have done likewise, meaning we cannot address a matter until the following September or October. The cutbacks will ensure that people on limited incomes who are not in receipt of social welfare payments, including the family income supplement, will not be able to afford child care in their areas.

As for the statement that we have a magnificent child care system, the 30,000 places are good because expertise and provision has been built up, but to say they will be sufficient to address demand is outrageous, ridiculous and untrue. Events in Dublin and certain areas of Cork will recur, namely, the provision of child care will be ghettoised so that only the children of the poor will receive child care or early childhood intervention. This is not what good child care is about. It is not only about early educational needs, but also social interaction.

The Government does not care about good quality child care. It is only interested in stretching its money as far as possible. If I worked in a crèche and knew that my provision for next June would mean a decrease from ten workers to four workers, I would not wait in hope until then were I to see another job on the horizon. I would move on. We will lose expertise and the people who provide excellent care.

Today's Evening Echo carries a story of a young mother. The headline reads "I can't afford to have more children". The Government forced people into the workplace because the economy demanded it. This was not bad. The Government does not care about children and will not provide the type of child care needed by the women in question. Eventually, they will say that they can take no more and that they are going home.

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