Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

While it may be my first Question Time, it is a bit rich of Deputy Troy to use words such as "abysmal" and "disaster", given his party's record in government. The Department of Social Protection has identified 31 qualifying parents and provided them with an after-school place under the scheme, with 42 children receiving after-school child care under the programme in the week ending 2 May 2014. I accept the initiative will require more time to become established. The scheme is administered by the Department of Social Protection, with which my Department is in constant contact to establish the reasons for the low uptake. We have made the places available. I accept we may need to increase the number of parents. We have 400 places, and more funding is coming on stream. I reject out of hand the Deputy's assertion that the scheme is a disaster.

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