Marc Ó Cathasaigh (Waterford, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I raise very similar concerns to the issues raised by Deputy Stanton. In the case of the naíonra in Tramore, it applied for that previous loan. It needed significant capital investment to maintain what has been an outstanding service for the past 30 years. Similarly, we see the number of housing estates cropping up all across the city and in Tramore. We are already at capacity within the town or city. Where are those children going to go? There is a bigger question if the State does want to make this capital investment. The margin of return on these crèches or early learning facilities is not really sufficient to make it stack up if you are trying to pay back a mortgage. If the State is taking a significant capital stake, that points to the next question of where the State lies in terms of the actual provision of the services as well. Certainly, we need to see more attention on the capital side to make sure we are building capacity.

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