Is the Taoiseach aware that women in Dublin are struggling to find childcare before they return to work? They are spending endless hours ringing around crèches and on childcare websites instead of spending quality time with their new babies. Some mothers delay their return to work not because it is the best option for their families but because it is the only option. There are 262 childcare services in receipt of core funding in Fingal and there have been at least 62 fee adjustments, impacting hundreds of parents, since December. Those fee increases are coming out of the enhanced childcare subsidies that were implemented in September. Smaller local providers still feel they are more likely to drop out of core funding. Will the Government move immediately on commitments to increase capacity through State-led and private childcare services and fix core funding for parents and providers?

We are well aware of the pressures on childcare services across the country and in Dublin. The last Government, in particular, introduced a number of initiatives on the childcare front, such that the investment in childcare is now approximately €1.37 billion. The data show that more children have places, more services are operating and more parents are benefiting from State subsidies. Between 2021 and 2023, the number of enrolments increased by 8%. That said, we have to do more. We must start by stabilising and creating proper career pathways and income supports, and improving the pay and conditions, for people working in childcare services. The first ever pay agreement was arrived at with the unions and was facilitated by Government funding. We froze the increase in fees through significant allocations. There is, however, an issue in respect of smaller providers, which have been impacted by the changes.