James O'Connor (Cork East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for the response from the Minster, Deputy O'Gorman's Department. One paragraph of the answer explains why we are here. The nature and scale of the damage involved is very significant, without going into too much detail. A facility of this size working with more than 100 children, including very young children and toddlers, is going to need highly expensive works to be done to bring it back up to standard. I am conscious that cannot be done with just €100,000.

There are other businesses affected by this, but it comes back to the conundrum that if this were a primary school, there would be an immediate action plan from the Department of Education to deal with it the next day because it would come under its auspices, but when it comes to childcare, because it is a private facility, the Department washes its hands. That is not sufficient. It is not good enough.

We saw an incredible reaction from our other Cabinet colleagues, who were on the site within days. I know the Minister is aware of this. I understand the parents have been in direct communication and contact with him. We need to be realistic. It is an horrendously difficult situation for a business to retain staff for such a long period and not to be able to open until the works are completed.

My asks are very simple. Will the Minister talk directly to the people and families involved? Will he engage with the owners and operators of the facility because they need the support of the State in this situation? When it comes to finding a new site, we must get it fast-tracked through the system as a temporary base so these families and their children can have a safe space for learning and childcare provision. That is something that must be addressed with the immediacy the situation requires. The reason Deputy Stanton and I are here this morning is because we have received a significant number of calls on this important issue and we want it to be dealt with in the same fashion and the same care that other Cabinet Ministers showed in their respective Departments.

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