Ruairí Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

On the national childcare scheme, we all accept that it is a job activation scheme. The problem is that disadvantaged kids have been getting after-school care and such under the community childcare subvention programme, CCSP. A number of bodies may possibly close in the next while. I have dealt with the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, in this regard. A review of this scheme is ongoing, as is a review of the Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools, DEIS, funding but this will not happen until November. We need solutions now. Tusla is a possible referral service, which would be imperfect because not all parents want to deal with it. We now need a directive from the Government to Tusla and we need Tusla to set out a directive or a straightforward roadmap on how children can be referred into the services. Otherwise they will close and kids are going to miss out.

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