Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I am slightly worried by the Minister's comments. She refers to greater efficiencies in the schemes, but she does not envisage major changes in how the Government treats child care. She mentioned targeted direct payments. Her Government has twice reduced targeted direct payments of child benefit. It decided to tax maternity benefit one week after the Minister launched a report recommending that maternity benefit be paid for 12 months.

When will the review be completed? Will there be wider consultation on it with the sector? Will the Minister examine a key recommendation of the Indecon report - that is, to offer tax relief to parents who avail of registered high-quality child care providers? In June 2012, when a colleague of mine asked the Minister for Finance about offering tax relief to working parents who were availing of child care, the Minister was unable to extrapolate the cost of child care.

However, that has been done now, and a fully costed report has been carried out with the Department. What consultation has the Department had with other Departments such as the Department of Social Protection and the Department of Finance?

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