There will be a rolling closure of early childhood care and education, ECCE, and childcare services starting in November. Five hundred small businesses will close their services. It will affect approximately 20,000 parents and will be the first of many. It will go on for months and months. The reason for this is that some of these small businesses are simply being closed down by the core funding plan of the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. This core funding plan does not adequately cover the costs of these businesses to allow them to function. This will have a devastating effect on parents’ ability to access childcare. It is a car crash happening in slow motion and nothing is being done about it. We need to have debate on this issue.

On the prepaid meters issue, I would argue we have had significant clarity on that in the Government’s response, both in the budget in respect of all the payments that are being made between now and the end of the year, together with the energy credits, something I have outlined to the House on numerous occasions, and in the work the Commission for Regulation of Utilities, CRU, has done in increasing protections. The Minister himself has also met with the companies. The Minister is in the House on Thursday on the energy security issue and I am sure he will take that opportunity to add any further additional material the Deputies may seek.

Deputy Boyd Barrett raised a specific point which is for the legislation, and there is an hour tomorrow to take amendments.

There is no time to take amendments.

We have been very clear from the outset that the law applies from the date the law is passed, by definition. In any event, these are issues and there is time for that amendment to be taken.

There is not. There is 60 minutes for Committee Stage. That is not enough time to deal with amendments.

On Deputy Healy-Rae's point, my understanding is that the Business Committee met in respect of the various timings for debates this week. The Deputy has asked for a debate. I take his point about services. I pay tribute to the health services and to our education services, where a great number of personnel have given a great deal of help and assistance outside of their normal work hours-----

They cannot cope.

-----pro bono to many Ukrainian refugees, and I thank them for that. Many people across the community in education, health and other services have done that and we should acknowledge that.

With the greatest will in the world, I do not believe we could ever dismantle Kerry tourism or Kerry hospitality.

The Taoiseach is not so sure.

It is an impossibility. It cannot happen. I have been there too often, including last summer, and there is not a hope that it could be dismantled. It is so strong and robust. There are genuine issues in certain towns. We have a list of towns that have gone way beyond the call of the duty when compared to other areas. We saw that recently in Killarney, where the community responded very generously. We appreciate that.

The Government has not provided one extra doctor or one extra man for the social welfare office.

I will ask the Whip if we can have a debate at some stage. I do not know whether that will be possible but I will ask the Whip if something can be done.

Will the Taoiseach address the rolling closures?

On the alleged rolling closures of ECCE services raised by Deputy Tóibín----

The Taoiseach can wait and see.

-----there is nothing that would please him more than to have as many protests as he can get on the back of.

I have been trying to solve this problem for weeks.

The Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, has said that €1 billion will be invested in childcare in 2023, an increase of €346 million on last year. ECCE services will benefit from this funding.

Does the Taoiseach not understand that businesses are going to close?

The Minister can engage with the Deputy on this matter.