Mary O'Rourke (Fianna Fail)

I would not agree with the State paying masses of salaries, pension rights and so forth for teachers or others who work in the area of pre-school education as it would impose a very large burden on the State. I accept many of the Senator's points, including those he made last week, as they were relevant. However, I also accept that masses of tax breaks based on the general written and oral evidence required for such matters would not be sound. As Senator Browne said, accountants will be busy reckoning one's tax responsibilities but may be the only people to get anything out of the exercise.

This is a complex business. People believe child care is easy but it is not. Many reports have been published in the area, so-called special advisers have become involved and we have been told that the big brains in different Departments are discussing how to deal with the matter. I do not know whether a body will have overall responsibility for the area.

I have mixed views on this issue. I agree that more women are needed in the workforce and that more and more are going into it but I do not like approaching the matter from an economic point of view. Something is wrong with a debate centred on a woman being seeing as an economic unit who must go out and produce.