Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent) | Oireachtas source

To go back to the issue of child poverty, which we must prioritise, I heard the Minister state that there is a budget of €260 million for early childhood education. What I would say to him is that I do not know what is going on with the talks in regard to the Darndale centre but all we are looking for is €100,000 immediately and €200,000 in the long term. If there is money available, I urge the Minister to put it into services on the ground because many of these children suffer from poverty. The Minister knows that from his visit to the area.

It is all very well to lash out money left, right and centre, and we hope there will be more, but we must ensure we focus that money on the children who need it most. I have given examples of genuine and credible projects, such as the one in Darndale. We need value for money and to prioritise those 375,000 children in poverty.

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