Maurice Cummins (Fine Gael)

When canvassing in the Kildare by-election, the question of child care cropped up on practically every doorstep and that was also the case in County Meath. That was a barometer of child care being an issue in other constituencies. Therefore it was no surprise that given the hammering the Government received in both by-elections, the Minister for Finance at last began to address the child care issue. Typical of its response to the health crisis, the Government believes throwing money at the issue will solve the problem. The Government started to address the problem by examining it strictly from an economic viewpoint.

The main focus of child care should always be on the child having an appropriate curriculum, which is stimulative and developmental for the child. There appears to be no Government policy on the standards and quality of child care. The vast majority of child care workers are not vetted. I read recently in a newspaper the heading "How sure are you that your child is safe?" This is also a cause of concern to many parents.

The Government has no idea of the quality of child care in the unregulated sector in particular, which is not open to inspection. Recent reports from the HSE are worrying when one considers that regulation breaches such as inadequate security on doors and toxic materials being left within the reach of children were found in some child care facilities. It is vital that these inspection reports are published in order that all parents are fully aware of the status of the facility in which they have placed their child. It is essential that the safety of children is paramount in all such facilities. Parents must know that their child is safe, secure and happy.

In the Government's policy there is no link to quality and no recognition of the value of the quality of early childhood care and education for all children. Without this link the child care supplement, as it is called, is really only child benefit by another name. When it comes to child care and early education, quality matters. For children, it is an investment in their healthy growth and development; for the care provider, it offers meaningful work; and for society, it has measurable gain.

The Government has missed an opportunity to develop the pre-school sector in particular. We still remain one of the worst countries in Europe for pre-school provision. We welcome the €1,000 supplement but it is not enough on its own. I stress that what is missing is the vital link, supporting the care and early education of children inside and outside the home. We encourage the Government to take on board many more of the Fine Gael proposals on child care rather than to put a spin on matters, as it tried to do this evening, which is most unedifying.

As far back as budget 2000, Fianna Fáil and the PDs were lamenting the dramatic rise in child care costs and the huge burden it placed on families. It took them until this year to get around to doing something about it. We should be clear that it is not the nation's children or the nation's family that roused the Government to act on child care, it was votes. The Government had a change of heart on child care. That did not take place on the road to Damascus but on the byroads of the N2 and N7 and the estates in counties Meath and Kildare. That is where the Government had its change of heart.

The primary focus of child care should always be on the child. I welcome that the Government has belatedly made a start on addressing the child care crisis. "A lot more to do" is definitely an understatement.