Catherine Noone (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister and her officials to the House. I thank her for her ongoing work in this area. I will be brief. I support the Bill in full but I wish to raise just a couple of points.

Ireland has come a long way in a relatively short period of time in childcare. It is in the relatively recent past that the first Minister for Children and Youth Affairs was appointed. This showed a focus on children's affairs. Over and over again, the issue main raised in areas where younger couples live is the issue of childcare. It is clearly an issue the Government has listened to. Much has been done, and is being done with this legislation. I join with Senator Clifford-Lee in her question on the budget. While not ungrateful for the work done in this regard - and we give kudos for it - we also need to know what direction we are going and what it is we hope to achieve in the upcoming budget. This would be very interesting.

The Government is clearly delivering on its election commitment to help ease the financial costs of childcare for hard-pressed working families. The Minister would say, and I would join with her in this, that Ireland is building a world class, properly funded childcare system, which should last for generations. We have, unfortunately, been generations out so it will have to be done incrementally.

This universal measure is implemented to ensure that all families benefit, which is welcomed, and a further targeted payment will be made to help those families who need it most. This money is intended to help families who have borne the brunt of one of the most expensive childcare systems in the world caused by years of Government neglect and under-investment. It is about breaking down the barriers that stop people getting a fair chance to fulfil their potential and it is a big part of the republic of opportunity idea. The gender pay gap is hugely significant in this space. If we bring in more of the types of measures that have already been brought in around parental leave - rather than maternal leave - employers will not now automatically assume that a woman will disappear for a large proportion of her career with that particular organisation.

The Minister for Finance, Deputy Donohoe, has allocated an additional €20 million in 2018 to support these initiatives. I am hopeful we will get further significant investment in this area for 2019. The new affordable childcare measures introduced by the Government in September will continue to be supported in 2018 and into 2019.

I have been contacted about some slight issues in this regard that I wish to raise with the Minister, and I shall give the Minister an opportunity to respond to them. One Family and the Children's Rights Alliance are concerned that the Bill retains an intention to means-test child maintenance. I would welcome the Minister's comments on this. From a policy perspective we want all income to be treated equitably. As the Bill stands, could it be said that the scheme acts as disincentive to employment for lone parents? Stakeholders believe that child maintenance should be seen as income for the child, not parental income. Perhaps the Minister will explain where she is coming from around this aspect. Organisations believe that the addition of this child maintenance as child income would be an excellent tool to bring more income into low income households. This will be the outcome of the legislation.

I entirely support the Bill but I believe there is a lot more for the Minister to do in this space. I wish the Minister the best of luck in her Department's interactions with the Minister for Finance in the upcoming budget. That is the only show in town in improving access to childcare and in increasing equality for families and children.