Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

Child care policy must be kept under review all the time. I am simply making the point that there are many initiatives and that additional places are being provided. The question of affordability arises in this regard. Fair dues to the Minister of State, Deputy Brendan Smith, for being prepared, after a very good consultation process, to work with others and give them a timeframe in which to ensure community places will be used in the way contemplated by the Oireachtas. Where persons are in a position to contribute a little more towards the costs of those excellent facilities, that should happen on the basis of equity in order that those on lower incomes do not cross-subsidise places for persons who can afford to pay a little more. Everyone talks about reform but, by definition, implementing reforms leads to there being winners and losers. As people set up community facilities and show considerable initiative in so doing, we have provided a way forward that will enables some of the problems to be solved in an orderly and equitable fashion.

I think the Deputy accepts the general policy point, which concerns additionality, which we will support in whatever way we can. We had a discussion about the informal sector, in which additionality is not coming through as much as we would have liked. I will know better next October whether even the increase to €15,000 from €10,000 has resulted in the provision of any more places. Similarly, we will continue to encourage businesses to look at investing in child care facilities or even refurbishing existing facilities to provide a basic child care facility in the workplace. The capital allowance system is designed to do this. We will do anything we can to facilitate such a development but it must be on the basis of additionality.

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