Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

A lot of that sounds very positive but often the headline figures are used as indicators of Government support for particular areas and the true picture can only be seen when that breakdown of funding is examined in greater detail by those who will be able to avail of it or not, as the case may be. The headline figures do not in this case account for the variety of services being funded, nor do they show any shortcomings in funding for any particular services.

I would like to commend the work of Elaine Dunne, chairperson of the Federation of Early Childhood Providers, and many others on their tireless work and informing us. As my daughter is 27, I do not have a need for the service at this point in time but I see how important it is. The sector itself and people such as Elaine Dunne, who have a depth of knowledge, are worth listening to. At all cost, the Department should meet them to understand their roles. They have highlighted some shortcomings in service provision when it comes to comparing full day care and non-full day care.

Correspondence I have been provided with from the federation gets to the heart of the matter, when it stated it is acknowledged that full day care has higher staff ratios. I apologise; as the Minister also has this correspondence, he might just read through it.

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