I raise the crisis faced by a number of childcare providers, especially the smaller, independent ones, in my constituency and elsewhere. This relates to the fact that the Department will not accept the set of accounts from these providers that Revenue has already accepted. The Department wants much more detail and requires the accounts to be prepared by a chartered accountant, at an extra cost of between €1,500 to €2,500 per provider. These accounts are for 2022. One provider told me that a supermarket receipt from 2022 for about €28 of legitimate expenses now has to be broken down into how much was for cleaning products, toilet paper, crayons and so on, 18 months after it was submitted. Also, the Department will not align the accounts to the normal financial year but wants accounts from September to August. The practical solution would be to delay the requirement for chartered accounts until next year and to align with the current financial year.

I will certainly transmit those suggestions to the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman. In the round, the national childcare scheme is working well. Parents have seen a big reduction in fees and will see another big reduction in fees in September. We are seeing terms and conditions improve for staff and we are seeing improvements in quality. Like any new scheme, however, there will be teething problems at the start and maybe a little bit too much bureaucracy and too many checks and balances, but they are there for a reason. I can understand the frustration that must arise from having to have one set of accounts for Revenue and a different set of accounts for a different Government agency. I will certainly pass those suggestions on to the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman. I know he is keen to make the process streamlined as possible.