Kathleen Funchion (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I am taking seven minutes and Deputy Martin Browne and Deputy Carthy will take four minutes each. We will do our questions and answers within each of our time slots.

Among the matters I wish to raise are the logistical issues with the wage subsidy scheme. Some of them have been mentioned already. Sole traders, for example, seem to be outside this category. It is ironic for them because they are administering the scheme and ensuring staff are paid, yet they cannot access the payment. I know the Department is aware of these issues but it our first opportunity to put them on the record in the Chamber. There are also difficulties for people who are either returning from or going on maternity leave. Given that they are technical issues, I believe some solution should be found. It is not good enough that it is seen as a matter for the Revenue Commissioners. We need to examine solutions for providers and services in that situation.

Sustainability is the key issue in all of this. I welcomed the fact that staff were to be paid by the State. As somebody who has long advocated for a publicly delivered childcare model, the idea of staff being paid by the State would appear to be a first step, but if there are inadequate funds available to keep services open and if some services did not even sign up for the scheme because they felt there would not be adequate funds to keep their businesses afloat, it is bittersweet in a way. There is a fund of approximately €2 million which is ring-fenced for the community sector as a sustainability fund. I would like if we could explore if it can be expanded and also take in the private services as well as the community sector, but obviously we would have to see a great deal more investment and money being ring-fenced for that.

This discussion is mainly about childcare but given that domestic violence is in the remit of the same Department, I wish to mention domestic violence services. We have all seen the reports of an increase of approximately 30% in the incidence of domestic violence. That is only the incidents that are being reported, but we are all aware that a large amount of domestic violence is unreported. While it is tragic and sad that we have this virus and people are dying from it, we also have a situation where many women and children are potentially going to die as a result of the increase in domestic violence. We must do a great deal more in terms of increasing funding to that sector. Many refuges have had to decrease the number of places they can provide due to social distancing. While they must abide by that, they are left in a very difficult situation. I give the example of a refuge in Carlow-Kilkenny.

The Minister is well aware of it because she came down to visit. Everyone was delighted with that. A problem arises if the refuge is full. People from Carlow have to travel to Kilkenny, which is not great, but if the refuge is full, the victims have to find a refuge elsewhere, perhaps in Clonmel, Waterford or Wexford. Many of them will just walk away and end up going back into very violent and difficult relationships. It just seems there is no hope. If we were able to provide more spaces, they could be precisely what the women and children need to get out of their circumstances.

I have seven minutes and I want to give the Minister some time to respond. My final point does not even relate to her but to an article in The SundayBusiness Postthat referred to some talk in the negotiations on forming a Government to getting rid of the Department of Children and Youth Affairs. I hope that was an error. Unfortunately, the talk is coming from our colleagues in Fianna Fáil. I am open to correction, and really hope I will be corrected because I cannot emphasise enough how much of a retrograde step it would be to get rid of the Department. As somebody who has been critical over the years, who will always continue to be constructively critical and who has a lot of difficulty with areas within the Department, I believe the solution is not to get rid of the Department but to work on it and reform it. All one has to do is look at the history of how this country has treated women and children over the years. I am totally opposed to even considering getting rid of or axing the one Department we have that deals primarily with women's and children's issues. Sinn Féin is totally opposed to it. I commit to doing everything in my power to ensure it is not axed. It would be a very dark day for this country, given our record on women and children. I hope the proposal does not represent a widespread view in Fianna Fáil and that people will be strong enough to voice their opposition to it. I am going to give the Minister the opportunity to respond, within my allowed time, on sustainability, domestic violence and the logistical issues. I would also be interested in hearing her opinion on my point on the Department of Children and Youth Affairs.

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