Violet-Anne Wynne (Clare, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I want to raise the matter of childcare with the Taoiseach. As he knows, the workforce in the sector is 98% female. The sector has had a very hard time trying to be heard by the Government. Meaningful engagement has been lacking. I specifically want to refer to Shannon. Last year, I raised the imminent closure of one of only two childcare providers in Shannon. I said then that they could not continue to firefight as they had been doing. If the issue is core funding, then how it is being administered seems to favour the new businesses coming on stream and is leaving the older businesses behind. In rural communities in County Clare, for example, we have many small family-run businesses and we are seeing them close. Rural areas are being impacted. They have little supply in the first instance. The little supply they do have is starting to diminish. I also want to mention childminders. I have been contacted by a number of childminders who are not happy with the lack of understanding of what childminding is. They say the new regulations do not have the appropriate language and they would like to have meaningful engagement on it.

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