Brian Hayes (Fine Gael)

I hope I will have more time because of Senator Feeney's rather silly interruption. The question is whether the Government had prepared for, was aware of, and had put in place the mechanisms to deal with this matter in the context of its statement in the Dáil last December. The Taoiseach is correct that a variety of reciprocal arrangements exist in many EU countries. Is there a specific arrangement in place to deal with the payment of €1,000?

The Minister of State, Deputy Brian Lenihan, stated on Monday evening that the matter would be kept under review. In the context of such a review, will 5,000, 10,000 or 20,000 claims be made? Rather than the reactionary, over the top, juvenile remarks of Senator Feeney, the Government needs to be clear on this issue. This is the Government that displayed an inability to deliver the over 70s medical card at three times the original estimate and was wildly inaccurate on pension provisions for those who worked before 1953.

My party has raised these matters in a rational manner but the Government has responded to this debate in an ugly, silly way. If a racist slur is cast upon me or my party every time a matter of public importance is to be discussed in the manner in which I am debating, it is a sad day for democracy and a new type of McCarthyism has taken over. I appreciate the Taoiseach's clarification of his remarks in the other House yesterday and I request Government Members of this House to be aware of what he stated and to be consistent with his position.

Regarding the Government's self-congratulatory motion, some minor improvements have taken place in child care provision, as announced in last December's budget. I welcome these improvements but many of these measures were made in anticipation of the next general election. It is utterly wrong that hard-pressed taxpayers should pay an additional benefit in kind if their employers provide a cash subsidy towards the cost of child care.

I ask the Government to examine this issue in the Finance Bill. If a progressive employer will provide funding to help meet excessive costs of an employee's child care bill, benefit-in-kind should not be levied. I ask the Government to review rates charged to child care facilities throughout the country. When the Government announced its €1,000 subsidy, child care costs rose in many facilities in Dublin the same week. The manner in which we should deal with commercial rates is to charge at a different level.

The Government should undertake a complete audit of provisions for State agencies, semi-State bodies and Departments as a means of ensuring the public authority and the Government implements its strategies on child care. There is no point in lecturing the private sector if the public sector is not doing enough to provide additional child care places. I ask the Government to commit to such an audit and publish the results.

Sums of up to €800 for two-income families for child care amounts to, in effect, a second mortgage. Not only must we act in terms of a universal provision, we must also do more to help with those additional costs faced by many new families, particularly in areas of new housing. The way to do more is to deliver an additional benefit to those families. I welcome the positive announcements in the budget on the basis that it is a small step by the Government after nine years in office. However, the public will not be fooled by this Pauline conversion and that is the context of our amendment.