Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I might be able to help the Minister's officials. I tabled amendments to the Childcare Support Bill in recent days on the basis of recommendations from organisations, including Barnardos, to address the 48-week period rather than the 52-week period. I am hopeful of the Minister's support for those amendments. Perhaps when the Bill was being devised, consideration of best practice meant people looked at a period of 48 weeks rather than 52 weeks. It could be a genuine oversight in the way the Bill was produced. This has now been identified as a concern for those on whose behalf I have articulated the point.

I am pleased to hear about the enhanced subsidy for zero-hour contracts. That is welcome and I compliment the Minister in that regard.

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