Mary Fitzpatrick (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the announcement of the completion of the review of the national childcare scheme by the Minister with responsibility for children. Particularly welcome is the Government's decision to adopt a number of the recommendations, specifically to ensure an additional €270 million in funding is provided for childcare services, which money will be used to control fees which for many families are a second mortgage and a barrier to paid employment for parents; to improve pay and conditions for workers, which is very important because these workers look after our youngest citizens and provide incredible care; and, most important, to provide dedicated funding for children who are in disadvantaged situations and to ensure the universality of childcare. I thank all the NGOs and childcare providers who engaged, especially in my own constituency. I refer to the inner city co-op and the childcare providers from the inner city, the northside and the southside of Dublin who engaged with the Minister and me in that review. I look forward to the details of it being made available.

I welcome the decision by Government to approve the preliminary business case for expansion of the DART+ project. This is a very important project for reaching our carbon neutrality target by 2050 but also for improving people's quality of life in the city. Some €1 billion has been committed to it and it promises to double capacity on the DART network. The first phase of that is the electrification of the Maynooth line, within my own constituency, which runs from Connolly Station. There is a very important facility on that line, the Ashtown stables. I have raised this previously. It is imperative the National Transport Authority, NTA, deal with the Ashtown stables prior to making the railway order. I ask the Leader to write to the NTA and ask it to do that.