Marie Sherlock (Dublin Central, Labour)

I want to start by expressing my deep shock and sadness at the passing of the young person and injury to others in an apartment in north Dublin yesterday. Obviously there is a criminal investigation and we are limited in what we can say, but there is an additional layer of sadness that this is an unaccompanied minor thousands of miles away from his family and community. As we understand it, this happened only days after arriving in this country. In the fullness of time, of course, there will have to be an internal Tusla investigation, but I very much hope that all of the necessary procedures, staffing and safeguards were in place when that shocking incident happened yesterday, in particular given that the care home is contracted to run on behalf of Tusla and not run by Tusla itself.

There will be huge amount of trauma for the staff and other minors involved and we have to make sure all the supports will be in place for them. It is important to say that every day across this country care workers go in to homes that look very ordinary on the outside and do incredible work in them, whether that is caring for those with an intellectual or physical disability or children in care. I know from talking to some of those care workers last night that yesterday's events have sent a chill down their spine because the reality is that some care workers have to work in extremely difficult and challenging conditions where, in spite of all of the safeguards, they have to put themselves at risk every single day to work and care for others.

This time last year we could not open the newspapers without seeing the Government make promise after promise to families desperately in need of childcare. They were told the Government could do something quickly about the cost of childcare in the early part of Government and we now know that is a broken promise. The Government said it would intervene with regard to supply. To be fair, it committed money to that last week which is great. However, as with so much with this Government, announcements are one thing but delivery is very different. I have very serious questions about the competence and capability in the Department of children and Pobal.

Last year, parents across the country were told that more places were coming and €25 million was being put in place under the building blocks scheme designed to help existing providers expand. The process started, applications closed in January and feedback was due in March. Funding was to be spent in total by this December. Instead, not a single penny has been spent. Pobal only sent the contracts two weeks ago. We now learn from providers that there is missing paperwork. The earliest date for construction is two or three months away and all the while construction costs have gone up since applications were submitted at the start of this year. Some providers have told me they are unsure whether they will be able to proceed with their planned expansion because the original grant will not cover the cost of works.

This is a deadly serious situation. Thousands of families are on waiting lists for childcare. Some 33,000 children under the age of three were on a waiting list last year and 10,000 children are waiting for an after-school place. All the while, there is zero urgency from Government. This is having a massive impact on families. What actions is the Government taking to ensure that the go slow ends in the Department of children and Pobal?

What assurances can he make to parents that those promised childcare places from last year, let alone this year, will be made available?

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