Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

If I was any one of the parents who raised these matters on a regular basis with constituency Deputies, the first thing I would ask after the Minister's intervention would be what does it mean for the particular area to which this question pertains. My Topical Issue matter is very specifically focused on the Dublin Mid-West constituency.

It strikes me that while the capital sums are welcome, they are very small in the context of the level of demand. While the way in which the State assists the provision of childcare, through capital and current expenditure, is not the same as education, at least the Department of Education and Skills proactively undertakes assessments of existing need and future population projections. That Department looks at a whole range of elements such as city and county development plans, planning permissions, strategic development zones and so on. On that basis the Department of Education and Skills is able to make strategic decisions about the targeting of limited resources in order that the resources go to the areas on a proportional basis to meet that need. I do not have anything close to the level of expertise as does the Minister on how this works but from the Minister's response, this is not the way the current allocation of resources takes place.

7 o’clock

While people who apply must demonstrate a level of need, it does not necessarily mean that if there is a greater level of need in certain geographical areas, the people there can access a proportionately greater sum from the funds. I stress again that I accept absolutely that childcare is an issue in every part of the State. However, in two strategic development zones in Dublin Mid-West, up to 20,000 additional public, affordable and private housing units are to be provided over the coming decade. We are already hearing from community and private providers that they are at capacity. I will forward to the Minister privately details of the instance in which we actually had overcapacity, presumably because a childcare provider tried to meet a need, albeit in very difficult circumstances. What I would like to hear in the Minister's short response, given what she has said about the position across the State, is what she can say to reassure Deputies and, crucially, parents in my constituency of Dublin Mid-West that her efforts in the coming weeks and months will produce increased provision which is so desperately needed?

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