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

While I thank the Minister for her reply, she failed to acknowledge the huge capital investment made in the period between 2000 and 2008. As she started at the downturn in 2008, she failed to acknowledge the huge capital investment made in both community and private facilities. Moreover, investment in the latter was made on a proportionate basis. I accept and no one questions the need for support for community services. I am well aware that I submitted the parliamentary question in question - I was the person who submitted it - but my question is, why has there been a deliberate change of policy away from supporting the private services that make up 70% of all services providing child care in Ireland? The Minister herself, by virtue of her inclusion of such services for the past two years, has acknowledged clearly the vital role they play in the provision of child care in the State. While I welcome that the Minister is thinking about supporting such services later in the year for next year, if they are not supported in the future, they will become unsustainable. If they become unsustainable, who will take up the shortfall? Where will the State be able to provide services in advance of the closure of such private services? I ask again, what was the rationale for the deliberate exclusion this year of private services from the capital grants? I reiterate the services make up 70% of the overall provision of services within the State. What does the Minister hope to achieve this year by the exclusion of the private sector in this regard?

While I do not expect the Minister to have this information to hand, I seek information on the trend over the past four or five years in respect of the numbers of openings and closures of community not-for-profit groups versus the numbers of openings and closures of private groups. When deliberating on eligibility for the scheme, did the Minister consider the trends over the last number of years by ascertaining which sector has experienced closures and openings in the largest percentage terms?

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