Gino Kenny (Dublin Mid West, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

We acknowledge there has been progress in terms of childcare provision but we also acknowledge the disparate nature of childcare in the State where the majority of childcare provision is privatised. The Scandinavian model is a better model as it is publicly funded and childcare provision is essentially free. That is a better model than the disparate nature of what we have at the moment. Does the Minister accept we should have that model rather than the model we have at the moment? Our model is arbitrary in terms of how parents can avail of the provision of childcare. Staff shortages also have a huge effect on childcare. There are a lot of factors in terms of retention of staff. Given all that, does the Minister think the better model is the one we alluded to that is particularly common in Scandinavia?

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