I raise the crisis in childcare, which is forcing women in Kilcock, Maynooth and Celbridge out of the workforce because they cannot find affordable childcare. Mothers, and their own mothers, have contacted me about this issue. This was the generation that was promised they could have it all. They are not looking for it all; all they are looking for is affordable and local childcare so they do not have to spend all day in the car. In Kilcock there is a preschool, Kidz@Play, that is frantic because it cannot find an affordable premises for its growing numbers. Parents too are frantic about this. These problems exist in early learning centres all across the State and I do not see anything in promised legislation that will address this issue. We are going to have a lot more numbers needing childcare now due to the women and children coming from Ukraine and women wanting to go back to work. I do not see anything in promised legislation about how the Government is going to deal with this.

As I said in response to the earlier question from Deputy Bacik, the key issue here will be around budget time. Legislation may be required if we are to strengthen the sort of State agency I was talking about. That may need legislative support but, critically, that is part of the budget process. We should be clear; the budget process effectively starts now. It is a six-month to eight-month run-in. The way the European budgetary process, and the Dáil process, works is that the Committee on Budgetary Oversight and other relevant committees are part of those deliberations. These decisions are not just made on a day in October. A lot of consideration is given in advance to both the legislation and the budgetary aspects.