Colm Burke (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

-----I left the organisation with a degree of independence and there has not been a change in that respect since the day I left it. I am delighted that level of independence has remained.

I wish to raise the report published by the ESRI, Growing Up in Ireland, in terms of the issue of child care. It is an interesting report that comprises a study of more than 11,000 infants. In terms of the level of child care, its findings are interesting in that only one in five child care employees have a HETAC or third level qualification and 50% of child minders and 80% of relatives have no child care related qualification. One of the findings of the study is that while we have the fourth highest rate of child benefit in the 27 member states of the EU, we do not have the same level of affordable and accessible child care. We should have a debate on this issue in the next term because it is an area where much more long-term planning is required and we need to change the policy direction in this area. I ask the Leader to arrange for a debate on this matter for next term.