Aisling Dolan (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I would like to speak about childcare places. It is a real challenge and we are seeing this in Ballinasloe, Mountbellew and other regional towns where community crèches are full come September and maybe the following September. We are in dire need. We have brought forward funding of €1,200 for each child to support parents with childcare. We want to be able to ensure women have a choice and can choose to either be at home or go back to work and have access to the facilities to do that.

I have knocked on doors and spoken to mums who did not have a choice. They said they could not go back to work because there was no space for their child in September. They would like to have access to that service but it is not there. I call on the Minister or the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to come to the House and talk to us about what sort of capital infrastructure or additional infrastructure can be put in place and how we can work with community crèches to expand in towns where possible. There is a need because people are moving into our towns. There is pressure on our primary schools and secondary schools. It is great to have more people moving back to the west, which is what I want to see, but I also want to see the services as well.