Mary White (Fianna Fail)

No, I said I supported the motivation behind the scheme, and the Minister of State understands that. I am speaking of the group left out. Among the submissions received by Fionnuala Kennedy was a letter from a surgeon's wife in County Cork, who did not have the money to buy a pair of tights. Another submission came from the wife of a high-ranking Army officer who had to plead for the few pounds necessary to meet friends for a coffee. The marriage bar is gone now and there are huge employment opportunities. Women yearn to develop their potential, receive training and have financial independence. The people using child care are not just those who are working, but also those who are going back to college for an education so that they can get a better job.

The community crèche in Athboy will have a deficit of €54,000 if it does not continue to get the nine staffing grants it currently receives. I told the manager today that I believed, as a business person, it should be possible for the crèche to continue in business. If it has 84 children, it should be able to do the sums and work it out——