Michael Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I will say a few brief words about child care and how we are progressing. In respect of the child care facilities in the not-for-profit community and voluntary sectors that were built over the past number of years, massive work with communities and voluntary organisations and boards is ongoing. Even in the private child care sector, the dedication to duty and commitment on the part of staff is second to none. I have had many interactions with this sector from the time they were being built up to today. We are dealing with an issue through the Minister's office at the moment. I ask her to look at bureaucracy. These people are drawing down funding for projects within the child care facilities and are trying to make every cent stretch to the limit. They are looking at every euro they get from the Department or Pobal and trying to make €2 out of every €1. For one or another reason, there might be an overlap or oversight. The Department and Pobal need to be very careful. They need to look at what might be perceived as but is nowhere near being a conflict of interest within the boards of these child care facilities. Every person on these boards are managing these facilities. I know them very well. They try to make €1 into €2. Deputy Rabbitte referred to Deputy Ó Laoghaire's point that staff do not enter the sector for the money. They do it for love. I have seen the excellent staff there. They have protested outside the gates of this House about funding on numerous occasions over the past three or four years because they feel the sector is not getting the recognition it deserves. It is the foundation stone of how we are going to educate our young people - the next generation and the generations into the future. I ask the Minister to make sure it is not over-bureaucratised. I ask her to make sure that the funding is given in a transparent way, to not to come down on the voluntary people because of oversights relating to small issues and to make sure bureaucracy is lifted. We need to recognise, highlight and be more appreciative of the staff who are providing child care throughout this country in the voluntary and private sectors.

See this speech in context