Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

We heard the issues that have been raised by Deputies and following the committee hearings that were held. I heard them myself in my constituency and around the country when meeting childcare providers. We have moved significantly. I am not going to say the agreement from groups was 100%, but we have moved significantly to address many of the key concerns that were raised. It is important to remember that the reason we are seeking these financial returns is to get the best information possible about income and expenditure for services so we can better direct core funding.

As the Deputy knows, I secured an extra €45 million for core funding in year 3. Some of that is allocated, but around €20 million is not allocated. We want to understand what services need the most supports. That is why we asked for this detailed information. However, we also wanted to work with providers and we have been able to tone down significantly what we are asking for this year.

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