Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)

The early childhood supplement is designed to support the cost of child care and not only that but to support parents in looking after their children wherever they choose to do so. It is a good scheme. Changes have been introduced by the budget, largely as a cost-saving measure and to ensure that we continue to target children at pre-school age. When it was introduced it was on a quarterly basis until the child reached six years of age. The majority of children are in school by the age of five and a half years so the payment will stop from then and it will be paid as a monthly allowance rather than quarterly. I do not see the need to accept the amendment to make reports on the scheme.