James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I absolutely agree that the issues of quality and affordability are inter-linked and very important to parents. Research will bear that out. We must remember though that in the darkest and deepest of recessions that this country ever experienced, we did protect funding for the ECCE programme. Without that funding, many of these facilities would not exist as it was the only funding available to them when parents were stretched by the general financial considerations they had to deal with.

Child care is critically important and that is why we have put together this interdepartmental group. We have asked that group and experts to come together to evaluate, analyse and cost various options that will be made available to the Government to choose from in plenty of time for the next Estimates.

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