Brian Hayes (Fine Gael)

Does the Leader agree that the decision by the Government parties, in their ninth year in office, to introduce a five-year child care programme is belatedly welcome? Does she also agree that it is important to establish a system whereby the benefits we give young parents, who must pay considerable sums of money on child care on a weekly and monthly basis, are ring-fenced for the type of costs they face? My concern is that much of the increases announced in yesterday's budget may well go towards meeting escalating child care costs.

Families with children aged over six years continue to face considerable costs. The notion that child care costs no longer arise for a family once a child goes to national school is nonsensical. I hope the budget will be a continuation of a debate on child care launched in this House because the advances made in this area yesterday are small in the context of the past nine years. The Government has finally woken up to the main issue on the agenda of many families.