An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business
Seanad Éireann — 2026-06-18
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Joanne Collins (SF), Agricultural Panel

In response to Senator Mullen, I for one am delighted to see that the legislation might pass and the three-day rule might stop because I do not know of any man who walks into a doctor’s surgery and is told to go home and think about it for three days. Yes, there is strain and mental stress for women on both sides: women who may have had an abortion and maybe were not 100% swayed that way and maybe regretted it afterwards, but also women sent home for three days, with the stress on their bodies that involves, who are told to have a think about it. It is absolutely disgraceful for anybody to be told to go and think about it when it comes to their own healthcare. I am delighted to see that there is cross-party support for the legislation.
On childcare, there is a serious issue with core funding. I am sure this does not just arise in County Limerick and that it is widespread in every county. The rates were reduced last week. The fee reduction for parents of a mere €14 per week was not what we wanted but it was something. Two TLC Childcare crèches in Newcastle West, County Limerick, have done their books and have realised that while the €14 a week is going to come off for each child, what they can claim back works out at €5.80. Regarding what they can claim back under core funding, they are going to be nearly €10 short per week per child. Core funding was supposed to be reviewed. I understand there is a review beginning, but it is only a review of year one. We need a review of the four years of core funding to see how this is affecting childcare facilities.
The parents from one of the childcare facilities have all contacted me. TLC Childcare charges €140 and €150, respectively, for its two childcare centres in Newcastle West. It needs the fee increase assessment to be opened. The assessment does open but the provider has not been given a date. Through it, the provider can show its books and accounts, show where core funding is not meeting what is needed to stay sustainable, and show that it needs to increase its fees by a small amount. It needs to increase its fee to €180. If not, it says, it will have to leave core funding, which would see its fees increase to €240 per week per child. The parents are not going to be able to afford that and will end up leaving. There are many nurses living in Newcastle West and they use this childcare facility. We are talking about HSE staff having to consider giving up work because this childcare provider cannot afford to stay within core funding. I ask that the core funding be reviewed for all four years. Could we have a date for the opening of the fee increase assessment so the provider will at least have some sense of when it might be able to look into this and determine whether its fee can be increased while staying within core funding, which is what we all want?

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-06-18/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:55:05+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-06-18