Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)

First, I thank the Deputy for his comment. I think it is a very fair point in terms of the need for a forward planning unit in the Department of children. There is one now to identify the gaps and the needs of a growing population for childcare services. It will be resourced. It has been a success and impactful in the Department of education relative to the situation prior to that, when perhaps there was not as focused an approach to planning ahead in terms of changing demographics and so forth. The short answer is "Yes", and this is something we are equally anxious to do.

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