Barry Ward (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)

I note the 226 net increase, which is a significant figure and certainly to be praised. In the context of places like where I live in Dún Laoghaire, where the cost of property and rent is much higher, is the Department doing anything to specifically safeguard urban childcare environments where the living costs for people working in those centres might be higher? We know teachers are leaving the education sector because they cannot live in Dublin and are going elsewhere. The same is true of childcare facilities. Is the Minister aware of childcare facilities that are closing? Is her Department doing any analysis of why that might be?

Are steps being taken to safeguard the facilities against this happening? Appreciating the work that has been done, the unprecedented investment the Minister mentioned, the progress we have made and the progress we have yet to make, will the Minister assure parents in Dún Laoghaire, in Dublin and in Ireland that if their children are in childcare, those facilities will, to the greatest extent possible, continue to provide services? The Minister appreciates the need for sufficiency of service and the need to support these childcare providers.

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