Marie Moloney (Labour)

I want to highlight a problem that has arisen in the medical card applications office, although perhaps this time it is not of its own making. It has come to my attention that child care expenses will not be taken into consideration in processing medical card applications unless a registered childminder is used. We all know that in Ireland there is a long-standing tradition of childminding by family members - grandparents, aunts and uncles - for small remuneration. The Minister needs to review this criterion and allow such child care expenses to be taken into consideration because it is affecting people, especially in rural Ireland where proper child care facilities are practically non-existent or, at least, very scarce. It is okay in the big urban areas in which people who are working can take their children to dedicated facilities, but in rural Ireland this is very difficult. I ask the Leader to request the Minister to come to the House to discuss the issue or provide us with his views on this matter. I also ask that he review the criteria in respect of child care.