Caít Keane (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

There is a difference between child care, covering the period from birth to three years, preschool services, between the ages of three and six years and care during schoolgoing years. That debate has never happened and it must. There is no point in saying this is the first Government to deal with the issue. I was on the other side of the House when the expert working group was set up in 1992. In 2006 the newspapers and media again highlighted the issue. In 2007 there was a media debate on what had gone wrong in a crèche. It is not new. I congratulate the Minister on what she is doing. We must look out for false reporting as major issues arose in that respect. I will not go into detail now on that matter.

There should be emphasis on training to degree standard and turning it into a professional service. Children are more important than anything else. We have seen inspections of farmers' markets far more frequently than of crèches. The Minister gave an update on Garda vetting. I am tired of talking about that topic, about which we have spoken for years. The research is available to show the benefits of child care and preschool education for socially disadvantaged children. Some preschools and crèches have online video systems and offer the service to parents who can log on at any time of the day and see what their children are doing. If people have nothing to hide and be afraid of and the regulations are being adhered to according to the book, why not offer the service? For €199, as it was a few years ago, we can set up and maintain the system. Parents can then go to work feeling easy.

When discussing the cost of child care, we must discuss the issue of parents going to work. We must shift the focus from a cost benefit analysis to a proper debate on how child care bills should be paid, the onus on the family and the State and further investment and providing more support for families. Parental leave arrangements should apply to both parents. It is not the case that daddies make babies and mothers care for them. If we are looking for equality in the workplace, we need to provide for both paternal and maternal leave. The debate must move towards the modern realm of duality when it comes to employment and both parents caring for their children. The models of support require to be fully debated, including tax exemptions, tax credits and refundable credits. We have never had the right debate. Since taking office, the Minister has put children and child care to the fore, on which I congratulate her. In appointing a Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the Government has shown its commitment to dealing with the issue.

I refer to the turnover of staff in preschool and other child care facilities because of low wages. This turnover is not good for the psychological development of children.

Victoria White wrote in an article: "Our children do not need corporate crèches; they need love". One corporate crèche featured in the programme made a profit €1.6 million and it was grant aided. This also needs to be debated.