Caít Keane (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I spoke the last day about Mr. Jimmy Walsh so I will not dwell on it other than to wish him the very best in his retirement. He has so much to offer. We always talk about the lack of coverage of the Seanad in the media. Perhaps having somebody inside who knows the scene and how to do it best might not be a bad idea.

I have been speaking on child care for the past 20 years in public. I was on the first expert group on child care established in the 1990s. It is a regressive step for a Minister to express any doubt. In fairness to the Minister, Deputy Varadkar, he did not speak about women and child care. He was speaking about the economic issue and would be interpreted as gender neutral. It was on the economy, on child care. I agree with Senators Bacik and van Turnhout, one of whom requested that child care be decoupled from the economic decision. Child care is about much more than economics - child care is about society. If we want a society to work, we need proper child care.

A Senator asked for reports, but we do not need any more reports. There are reports stacked high going back as far as the 1970s on the economic and social benefits of child care. So it is not an economic decision and social policy should not be left to bankers - it is a Government decision. The Minister, Deputy Varadkar, is being misquoted in reference to "women". He did not say "women" and that is my interpretation of it. It was on the issue of child care and economics. Every Minister should stand behind the Minister, Deputy Fitzgerald, who is doing a brilliant job. The report we had on child care outlined all the initiatives to be implemented that would save the Government money. It is absolutely brilliant. Everybody in government and opposition should support the Minister, Deputy Fitzgerald, and support the child-care initiatives that will bring the country forward. Ministers cannot be blamed when taken out of context in the gender issue.

I wish to raise one further issue.