Results 41-60 of 1,049,434 for in 'Dáil debates' OR in 'Committee meetings' (speaker:Tom Kitt OR speaker:Paul Donnelly OR speaker:Marc MacSharry OR speaker:Willie O'Dea OR speaker:Eoin Ó Broin OR speaker:Maurice Quinlivan OR speaker:Johnny Guirke)

Childcare: Motion [Private Members] (18 Sep 2024)

Catherine Connolly: I thank Sinn Féin for the motion. Although I have concerns about it, I appreciate that the tenor of it is to reduce the cost for parents and I fully support that. What is missing is a commitment to the provision of public childcare and the operation of childcare. I know the Minister has done his best to reduce the cost and has brought in schemes, but he has ignored what the citizens'...

Childcare: Motion [Private Members] (18 Sep 2024)

Thomas Pringle: I am grateful for the opportunity to speak on this motion regarding childcare. I fully support the motion, particularly as it calls on the Government to make childcare more affordable for parents and to increase pay for early years educators. However, I do not believe the motion goes far enough. Really we should be aiming for public childcare that is completely State funded. Parents are...

Childcare: Motion [Private Members] (18 Sep 2024)

Danny Healy-Rae: I will support this motion because it is very important. We need childcare professionals and we need mothers and women in the workforce. They need to work to keep their homes, so we need to help those people, along with childcare professionals. The motion calls for extending parent's leave and benefit schemes to ensure parents have the choice to remain with their baby in the first year of...

Childcare: Motion [Private Members] (18 Sep 2024)

Michael Collins: I fully support Sinn Féin's motion. Childcare is essential for society, aiding children's development and enabling parents to work. Ireland faces a childcare crisis, however, with high costs, limited availability and inadequate support for professionals. This crisis demands urgent reform. Affordable, accessible and reliable childcare is crucial for families and the economy. It...

Childcare: Motion [Private Members] (18 Sep 2024)

Richard O'Donoghue: As a father and grandparent, I know that early years learning and childcare is a necessity, but in my experience and that of families around me, getting childcare is next to impossible. That is why I will support the motion. Currently, two people in a household have to work in order to survive, and then they have to try to get childcare for their children, which is a massive cost. People...

Childcare: Motion [Private Members] (18 Sep 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: Yes, I got a selfie with your mother-in-law.

Childcare: Motion [Private Members] (18 Sep 2024)

Richard O'Donoghue: Yes. I am sorry I could not make it to meet the Minister because I was meeting constituents, but I had not been notified of his visit, and whenever I am notified of a visit from any Minister, I make it my business to attend. Whenever a Minister comes to the area, I show him or her ample respect. I was not notified in advance, however, and I have my own schedule for meeting the people of...

Childcare: Motion [Private Members] (18 Sep 2024)

Peadar Tóibín: I will take the first five minutes if that is all right.

Childcare: Motion [Private Members] (18 Sep 2024)

Seán Ó Fearghaíl: Whatever you like.

Childcare: Motion [Private Members] (18 Sep 2024)

Peadar Tóibín: I appreciate that. The Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, mentioned his vision for public delivery for childcare. It is a pity that he has not been in government for the past year to have an opportunity to put that vision in place. It is an incredible situation that we are having speeches at the end of this Government's term that should have been made at the start and the subject matter of which...

Childcare: Motion [Private Members] (18 Sep 2024)

Verona Murphy: The motion was brought forward in good faith but I do not think it will solve our problem. I do not doubt the Minister's bone fides in what he is trying to do but, unfortunately, it is ineffective. We have a cross-section of private and public childcare. Some 74% of our childcare is catered for in the private sector and 26% is in the public sector. They are not a million miles apart in...

Childcare: Motion [Private Members] (18 Sep 2024)

Paul Murphy: I will start with a quote from a parent who put it extremely well: Early years childcare in Ireland seems broken. The staff themselves are poorly paid and move frequently. Parents have to pay exorbitant fees, which become even more challenging to fund if there is more than one child. The Government needs to look at a more wholescale change to the system. There are environmental and...

Childcare: Motion [Private Members] (18 Sep 2024)

Mick Barry: I want to make a few points about daycare in my constituency of Cork North Central. Northside Community Enterprises are currently waiting on a green light from the Department for funding of approximately €300,000 to renovate the old Before 5 family centre in Churchfield. This early learning childcare and community centre was closed suddenly in August 2023 with more than 100 children...

Childcare: Motion [Private Members] (18 Sep 2024)

Seán Ó Fearghaíl: I thank Deputy Barry. We go to the Regional Group and Deputy Verona Murphy is sharing time with Deputy Tóibín.

Childcare: Motion [Private Members] (18 Sep 2024)

Jennifer Whitmore: I thank Sinn Féin for bringing this motion forward. It is always important to be able to discuss childcare provision and early education in this Chamber. Interestingly, in the past half hour I had a conversation with a young parent. He told me about his personal experience of getting childcare. He spoke about the stress of trying to find places and pay for them, the stress of getting...

Childcare: Motion [Private Members] (18 Sep 2024)

Seán Ó Fearghaíl: Deputy Mick Barry is sharing time with Deputy Paul Murphy.

Childcare: Motion [Private Members] (18 Sep 2024)

Patricia Ryan: I thank Deputies Kerrane and Funchion for bringing this motion forward. Irish parents now pay some of the highest childcare fees in the OECD. Some pay the equivalent of a second mortgage, at nearly €1,400 per month, with my own constituency of South Kildare ranking among the most expensive counties for crèches in Ireland. This is an intolerable strain on parents who are already...

Childcare: Motion [Private Members] (18 Sep 2024)

Duncan Smith: I welcome the opportunity to discuss early years education in the Chamber this evening. Unfortunately, for those of us who are serious about a publicly provided system of early years education, this motion does not meet the vision of that goal. This motion from Sinn Féin, and the confusing and contrary contributions we have heard so far, do not speak to where the early years education...

Childcare: Motion [Private Members] (18 Sep 2024)

Seán Ó Fearghaíl: Deputy Quinlivan is sharing time with Deputies Martin Browne, Cronin and Ellis.

Childcare: Motion [Private Members] (18 Sep 2024)

Maurice Quinlivan: I thank the Ceann Comhairle. Too many families are paying what is in many cases equivalent to a second mortgage when it comes to childcare. Having to contend with the astronomical price of childcare puts severe stress on families from all socioeconomic backgrounds. Regardless of ability to pay, there is the initial stress of sourcing a childcare provider. I am dealing with a family who...