Joe Cooney (Clare, Fine Gael)

I thank the Minister for her positive reply. I wish to raise one final point with the Minister regarding extra capacity that may be within the system without any extra facilities, highlighted by this direct quote from the manager of one facility:

Allocation of a blanket of 45 hours childcare per week to a family without full consideration of their circumstances is completely clogging up the system. I regularly see 45 hours allocated to families with one or both parents at home for whatever reason. While every child should have an allocation of hours for socialisation, the allocation of 45 hours per week while a parent or parents are home should be discouraged. This facility could potentially take another 30 children off the waiting list if the process around how hours are allocated were re-examined.

I suggest the Minister examine this process to see if an amendment would deliver taking extra childcare spaces in the short term.

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