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

I am well aware that the Association of Childcare Professionals is planning to organise. The association has been in communication with me in regard to its concerns. I am supportive of the right of people to raise their voices on issues of concern to them. This will assist me in my work as Minister in the context of budget 2018. I acknowledge that there is a day of protest planned and I believe that it is important that it happens and that the association gets an opportunity to raise its concerns. I have no difficulty with that.

I have indicated a number of times that while this is a radical new step in terms of the sustainability of the infrastructure we have in this country in relation to child care, it is only a first step. I have not been able to provide for everything in the context of budget 2017 but I have managed to identify and commit €14.5 million of my budget allocation for 2017 to current providers in respect of non-contact time, which was one of the key requests they had in terms of their conditions.

See this speech in context