Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Whitmore. The way she laid out the complexity of the challenges, her empathy, her representation of her constituents and her concerns, as many of the Deputies have done, demonstrates how big the issue is in general and especially for our children and young people. I thank the Deputy and I am with her in this regard. I understand a little bit about it, in trying to take responsibility for it in the current period

Deputy Whitmore spoke about children and young people and what they may have lost and what they still are giving. I tried to indicate some of this in my opening remarks, to acknowledge their agency, resilience and actions, and to be aware in particular of those who have additional needs or backgrounds that require additional supports when we come to reopen in a different way. We are conscious of this. In this regard, for 2020 I got an additional €10 million for the Department's access and inclusion model. This money is still in the budget and will be used for children with additional needs. Our Better Start team is available to work over the summer with parents who are concerned about a child with additional needs who will be starting in school and who may have lost out. We are working with the Department of Education and Skills in this regard. Some of this is happening.

I have already referred to some of the measures in other sections of the Department, particularly for young children who are not in preschool. We have set up a number of videos and resources to help support parents in this regard. I also referred to how the sections of the Department that deal with youth affairs are responding with an innovative approach.

I will bring to the Department's attention Deputy Whitmore's recommendation on a cross-party transition group to look particularly at the challenges as we move forward, and we will take a look at it. Initially, I thought she was talking about the wider task force recommended by her leader. I am in favour of that idea and I have spoken about it at Cabinet. I was also in favour of the establishment of the committee that has been established today in the Dáil and I spoke about it at Cabinet. I will bring back the Deputy's suggestion and we can take a look at it and continue a conversation with the Deputy in this regard.

With regard to the Deputy's other questions on childcare, as we move forward and parents having a place, she is right and we are carrying this awareness and responsibility. I have only started to indicate some of the complexity of trying to deal with it. The Deputy spoke about a sustainability fund, as did other Members. Not unlike always in recent years, the Department is there for somebody in trouble to come forward. We want to help. I have been trying to indicate that everything we have been doing and all of the additional huge number of supports and significant funds have been about sustainability. This is not to say there is not also a fund that might continue to support it but it is part of all of the wider measures being taken.

As the Deputy knows, I believe in marches. Yes, there is criticism that it is something on which we did not move fast enough, but part of the work I did as Minister was to encourage the voice to be raised, and that is what they did. I am proud that that happened. At the same time, I point out that there are still a lot of issues and problems. I have said before that I, too, believe childcare should be free. Ultimately, I would love to see that. This is why affordability was so central to the work as well as the professionals who work there. Maybe that answers a little of the Deputy's query.

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