Free preschool childcare legislation
Micheál Martin challenges the Government’s funding claims on a second year of free preschool and asks when the child care amendment Bill will be brought forward.
It is important to have a debate to allow all political parties to put on the record their position on the report and the report of the Garda Commissioner.
Within days of the budget, the Minister, Deputy Reilly, clarified that not all children will receive a second year of free preschool education as a result of budget 2016. Deputies will recall that the Minister, Deputy Howlin, had said he would provide a second year of free preschool education, in effect. All that is being provided is an additional 23 weeks, on average. The budget increase is just €40 million, or 24% of the current provision.
