Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

Throughout Covid we have supported all services and through the employment wage subsidy scheme we have also had a specific sustainability fund for services facing issues due to Covid or due to unintended consequences of some parts of the national childcare scheme. This fund has been providing additional supports to some services, particularly in areas of disadvantage.

The State puts a significant amount of money into the childcare sector, at €630 million every year, but we all know that compared with other European countries this is not enough. My determination is to continue to grow the investment we put into that sector. We have to ensure we are getting results in terms of quality, a reduction of cost for parents, the sustainability of services and the pay that childcare professionals get. I am looking to address this wider issue in the budget. I am particularly conscious of the difficulties faced by providers in areas of disadvantage. This specific issue is also a matter on which I am engaging with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.