Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Coppinger. I identified those statistics and numbers again because that investment is reducing the costs of child care. Clearly that is not enough and I absolutely agree with the Deputy on that point. I agree that the scheme works for families with children from the ages of three to five and who are entering school age, but they are making the savings at that stage of their child's life. For those families who are on low incomes, the subvention allows them to save money on the costs of child care. That is what is happening.

In addition to that measure, there is the after-school child care programme which provides care for primary schoolchildren of eligible parents for a period of 52 weeks. Eligibility is determined by the Department of Social Protection. The after-school programme provides €40 per week towards an after-school place or €80 per week in situations where the child care service provides a pick-up service from the schools. These are the other ways in which the provision of child care services does save families money. I accept that it is not enough.

See this speech in context