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

I thank the Minister for all of that information. The one question I have is on her degree of confidence that the scheme will be delivered in October 2019. To reel back through the years, the scheme was announced in budget 2016 but we realised legislative changes were required in March 2017. That meant we did not hit the targeted launch in 2017. We looked forward to 2018, but failed to deliver on that target also. The target is now 2019, which is why I ask about Codec and the Department's work. Are trials taking place? Is the scheme up and running in some of the various city and county childcare areas? Where exactly are we with a timeline? There is no point having an awareness programme if we are not fully confident that we are going to be able to deliver. Why is the target October 2019 instead of August 2019? Why not have it in place before the new year starts? It should be out ambition to deliver the scheme for August 2019.

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