Marie Moloney (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I will not go over what everyone has said. The image we saw in the "Prime Time" programme of children being flipped and flung onto the floor will stick in the minds of everyone and particularly in the minds of parents with children in crèches. We must act swiftly and comprehensively to deal with the issue. Parents need to be able to sleep easily at night and we need to let them know that not every crèche is of that standard. Parents need to be reassured that there are very good crèches also.

This morning I heard a radio report suggesting that those operating under the free preschool year scheme do not need a qualification to mind children. That matter needs to be addressed immediately. We cannot install CCTV cameras to see what is going on.

On Tuesday I visited LauraLynn House - Children's Sunshine Home. Every 15 minutes a member of staff swipes a card at the head of a child's bed to show he or she was inspected during the night. It is not beyond the bounds of possibility to put this system in place. The service offered is second to none and if they can do it, so can crèches and other services.

I am heartened by the Minister's speech and know she will act. This is not new. It went on in 2006, 2007 and 2008, when there were headlines that shocked people. It is ridiculous that Members give out to the Minister on the basis that she is not acting quickly enough. No action was taken in the past, but at least she is ready and willing to act and acted by introducing the referendum. I will support her in whatever she does because it is heartfelt and she will ensure children are safe.