Alan Farrell (Dublin Fingal, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Minister's colleague in Dublin West, Senator Currie, has brought this up and brought it to the Minister's attention before. I am delighted to hear the Minister has been so proactive as to get together with local authorities across the State. It is crucial.

On the publicly funded model of early years education, I wonder whether the capital scheme would involve the Department constructing such facilities on contract and then leasing them to providers, thereby reducing the cost base for providers and ensuring costs are not so high initially for parents. Is that a consideration in the future model we would all like to work on with the Minister in the coming months and years?

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