Shane Moynihan (Dublin Mid West, Fianna Fail)

I thank the Minister for her response. Without a doubt, I welcome the huge progress that has been made in bringing the costs of childcare back down. It was certainly raised with me by parents throughout the campaign and we are keen to maintain that progress and see it persist throughout the lifetime of this Government and to achieve that aim of a monthly cap of €200 in childcare costs for every family in the State. The trick with core funding is - and I fully understand the challenges - about getting the balance right for parents but also for providers. There have been one or two providers in my constituency that have withdrawn from the core funding model. What they have told me is that the financial pressure they are under is real. I acknowledge the progress that has been made with regard to issues such as pay and so on but I ask that the evaluations that will be undertaken by the IGEES and other bodies will feed into that planned review and give certainty to the provider side of the sector to ensure it can then give certainty to the parents who rely on its services.

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