The Government put on paper its commitment to progressively reducing the cost of childcare to €200 per month through the national childcare scheme. As the Tánaiste knows, young families are desperately struggling to get a place, and if they do they face crippling costs. Our childcare and early years education sector is in a precarious situation with regard to recruitment and retention. I hope the Government is considering pay parity with their colleagues in education for early years workers. The Tánaiste is on the record as saying that the model of childcare and early childhood education in Ireland needs to be in the public space. Given that public commitment to the sector, the crucial importance of the sector and with committees being actively considered, will the Government consider the establishment of "páistecare", a Sláintecare approach to what is very important work, and to spell out a cross-party and long-term vision for what childcare and early years education will look like in Ireland?

I like "páistecare"; it is a good way of putting it. What emerged during the election period is that while all parties had different areas of focus, they all said that something significant needs to happen on childcare. I take the point, and while it is not for me to tell committees how to do their work, as they are established, a focus on how we can advance a proper fit-for-purpose childcare system is crucial. I am proud of some of the work we have done on reducing the cost of childcare. I know it can still be too high but not being able to get a place is the real issue. That is why I am unashamedly on the record, and the programme for Government alludes to this, regarding the need for the State to intervene in terms of public provision. We will of course be working with private providers too. They have a role to play, and I have no issue with that, but there are certain parts of the country and certain communities where there really is a lack of provision. I am happy to work constructively with the Deputy. Perhaps when the new Oireachtas committees are established, which I hope will be soon, this could be an area of focus.