Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

My own view which, I think, is matched in the Government is that the State needs to take a stronger role here, perhaps by way of a State agency in order that we are not just relying on the market. While many of the private operators are doing a really good job in terms of the excellent facilities they provide, this area requires a lot of State engagement, for example by supporting community initiatives in terms of how early years care and childcare facilities are managed and presented. We do this better when we do it on a collective basis. Where there is no choice because childcare is so expensive and it is difficult to access a place, State planning and organisation will be one of the characteristics of the change that comes.

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