Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance)

The Minister has still not answered the question, which I asked so that we might debate the matter during our discussion on the amendments to the Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2012. As the Minister knows, there are not enough affordable child care facilities. Lone parents want to work, but seven years of age is too young to keep their children at home and there are not enough child care facilities available to help them return to the workplace. Lone parents comprise a small group and I cannot understand why the Minister would claim that child care provision has not developed in recent years, given the fact that the birth rate has increased in the past two to three years. Surely the Government should be reacting to this increase and providing more affordable facilities. Once again, the Minister has not outlined the situation. People were expecting more from her regarding her views on introducing Scandinavian-type child care to Ireland.

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