Deirdre Clune (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)

I, too, commend the proposal to introduce a year's free preschool education. It is highly desirable and has long been policy on this side of the House. Anybody involved with children or visiting schools will realise that unless children have had some form of preschool education they are at a disadvantage because most children have had it, through either a community or a private facility. Reports have been published and studies conducted on its value and it is good to see that we are taking a step to introduce such a provision for our preschool children.

The manner in which this proposal has been introduced, however, has raised more questions than answers. This leaves much to be desired and I am delighted that this motion is before the House to enable us to try to glean some information from the Minister of State and put forward some of the comments and concerns that providers and parents in our constituencies have raised with us. For example, I have correspondence from the owner of a local Montessori school. She runs a private school charging €330 a month for a five-day week, for 43 weeks, coming to €3,300 per year. Under the scheme as proposed she will receive €2,451 leaving a shortfall of €859. She pays her staff over the summer months but will not be able to afford to do so under the new scheme. Will her staff be allowed to sign on to claim unemployment benefit during those months? She has high costs because she bought a building for which she is paying a mortgage. She must pay rates, equipment costs, insurance, lighting and all the costs incurred by any small business. She is not looking for a break on those. She went into the business with her eyes wide open.

We all know that child care or preschool facilities are not big money-spinners. They are relatively small earners. Most people do this work out of love of working with children. They like to teach children for maybe two years before passing them on to the school system. It requires dedication. Now, however, many people, such as this private provider, wonder whether they can afford to stay in business. I suspect that some may not and the proposed restrictions, the payment of only €64.50 a week for 38 weeks of the year, will be an obstacle to their continuing in business. This must be considered particularly if we are depending on these people to provide the necessary places for preschool students.

According to the statement read on the Minister of State's behalf last night, by the end of 2010 all the places will be available. This scheme is due to start in January 2010 so there will be some confusion for 12 months. The Minister of State has ruled out completely an added contribution from parents and I can see how that would be contrary to the provision of free child care places, but I urge him to consider this carefully, particularly because he is depending on these private child care providers to implement the scheme he proposes.

I would like to have spoken on the early child care supplement. I am very disappointed that the Minister has removed it because it supported parents of young children, particularly those facing excessive full-time child care costs while they work. This can be very expensive and while it varies from one area to another it is a heavy burden on working parents. The removal of this supplement along with the changes to child care benefit that we face in the next budget, and the removal of mortgage interest relief in this last budget, have had a detrimental effect on and are a serious blow to parents with young families.

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