Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I appreciate the statement the Minister has made on the average payment of €1,500 per provider. There needs to be greater interrogation of how that scheme is proposed to be rolled out. The question is whether it will give comfort to the provider that I referred to earlier. I do not buy the argument made by the insurance sector that risk profile has increased. If people, providers and owners have been compliant up to now, either through the HSE or through Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, I do not understand how their risk profile has all of a sudden increased to the point where their insurance premiums are being increased to the extent of they are.

I go back to the point that I made about one provider who is now being penalised, even though that provider's risk profile has not increased. This provider is being told that if it joins Early Childhood Ireland, it pays €240, the €2,100 that is being quoted now through Arachas is reduced to €1,500. That blows the risk profile argument out of the water. I am hopeful that the Minister will have regard to that.

In the Committee on Children and Youth Affairs meeting today, Deputy Rabbitte called for a dedicated Oireachtas helpline so that we can work through cases like that and bring them directly to the Minister's Department. I also support the call here that Irish public bodies or some other such institution should now be able to step into the breach to cover the risk.

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