Mary White (Fianna Fail)

One of the six propositions of my document was quality assurance of provided child care facilities. The roll-out of places "will be complemented by an intensification of training arrangements to support quality child care delivery. It is expected that 17,000 child care workers will be trained in the period". The following is the crunch:

In order to help further to improve the supply side, I propose to exempt from income tax, PRSI and levies all income up to €10,000 per year from childminding where an individual minds up to three children, who are not their own, in the minder's own home. This will recognise the contribution of this sector to supporting supply. Such individuals will be required to notify their local county child care committee so that information on availability of child care places can be more readily co-ordinated. The county child care committees provide support, information and small grants to the sector.

If a group of people, each of whom minds three children in his or her home, does not earn more than €10,000 per year, those people will be drawn into the child care committees' nets. It is a network wherein people can be advised on nutrition, education, hygiene and so on. We are bringing the people who mind children in their own homes into the county child care committee's network of professionalism. It is an imaginative and innovative move. Like the others, it makes a contribution, although no contribution on its own would be adequate.

Regarding maternity leave, the Budget Statement reads: "From March next, mothers of newborn children will have an additional four weeks paid maternity leave, extending the duration of such leave to 22 weeks." I called for this in my document.