Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Yes. A whole range of issues were raised there. Deputy Bacik raised the issue of childcare. The difficulty is that if we were to move completely to a State system, it would involve very significant engagement with stakeholders to dramatically and radically transform the area. As I said, we dealt in the last budget with a significant allocation for pay and conditions. Working between employers and employees, an agreement was arrived at in terms of the two employment regulation orders. This was good, but this year we have to increase affordability.

If the Deputy wants to send the details of her proposal to us, I know the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, is working on proposals for the forthcoming budget in respect of childcare. Childcare is very expensive in this country. We have to try consistently to get the cost down in a programmatic way that sustains into the future from a public finance and expenditure point of view. We are increasing expenditure on childcare significantly year on year.

On the question raised by Deputy Murphy, I am not aware of the specific meeting in question, but I would say I do not believe he is correct in his analysis that people are using the war in Ukraine to drive the militarisation of the world or NATO. I think that is a perverse analysis because nobody wanted the war in Ukraine except Putin. The leaders of European countries like Germany and France, including Chancellor Scholz and President Macron, did everything they possibly could to prevent the war and to stop a war. War has consequences. When a leader wages war in an unprovoked and brutal fashion on a neighbouring country simply because he believes the country does not exist and is possessed by some sort of 19th century imperialist view of the world, then the neighbours of that neighbour have to take note. The Continent has to take note. We cannot have an endless continuance of that policy. That is why people closer to Russia are taking extra measures to protect themselves, unfortunately. It is why Finland and Sweden have applied to join NATO. They see it. I met the Finnish Prime Minister and President. They are balanced and reasonable people, who have navigated a relationship with Russia for a long time. Their view is that this brutal invasion of Ukraine has changed everything. All they were told in their childhoods and the ultimate fear came to be realised in the invasion. People in Estonia, Poland and the Baltic states more generally are all very anxious and worried about what has happened. That is the natural response that has occurred. The vast majority of people obviously would have preferred if this had never happened, and that we did not find ourselves in this situation.

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