I will make a brief response because, in fairness, the question has been answered. I understand why that rule is there and I generally support it because many children have the potential to fall through the cracks and this rule is in place to identify that. Given that we are in such strange and unusual times it is good to see that a common sense approach, something I often refer to in this Chamber, will be applied in this instance and I thank the Minister for that.

This question relates to the overage exemption for the ECCE programme and asks the Minister to give some explanation for the high level of refusals for this exemption, which causes a great deal of stress and anxiety for families looking to take it up.

I thank the Minister. Is it the case then that once the two years is completed, regardless of the other circumstances, that child will not be eligible for the overage exemption? I could be wrong but until now, that was not my understanding of it. I thought it was supposed to be available mainly for children who might have additional needs or who might be struggling. As we all know, the waiting times now for assessments and various therapies have become ridiculous. In many cases, the services and a specialist are sa…

I raised this question because a huge number of people contacted us in recent weeks about it. I have often dealt with queries about the overage exemption and I have to say that, to date, I do not know one person who has got it. I might have been unlucky with the cases I have been dealing with, in that people have not got it. It seems to be the case that if it is available parents feel they might be able to qualify for it but when we look at the criteria it appears that, technically, nobody will qualify under that. …

My question is in a similar vein. I wish to know when the final report of the mother and baby homes commission of investigation will be published in view of the fact that the crucial report for survivors has been delayed several times.

As the Minister will be aware and, in fairness, has acknowledged, a number of dates were given for publication. As late as 3 June last, it was confirmed that it would go ahead on the expected date of 26 June. At that stage, everybody thought that would be the date. However, on 12 June, there was a delay, which was said to be due to Covid-19. The experience of people who have been treated and failed so badly by the State has been delay after delay. Saying Covid-19 was the issue at the end of June when the Covid pand…

While I understand the Minister's point, if the 30 October deadline is adhered to, it will be the first time a timeline will have been met in this whole scenario. The report should have been published before the Covid pandemic started. Covid should not come into this. I never know what we can say about mother and baby homes, institutional abuse and all the horrible things that happened. The State has totally failed people. One thing we can do, apart from apologising, is publish the report and get the information. I…

This question concerns the supports afforded to childcare facilities to enable them to reopen and to remain viable. In view of the fact that in the first six months of this year, Tusla was notified of 123 closures of childcare settings, what steps are being taken to ensure sustainability and capacity in the sector?

Yes, I believe one of the other questions I have tabled concerns sustainability. The Minister will not be surprised at this stage by my saying that the sector probably has been undervalued and underfunded for years. Hopefully the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, will be the Minister to change this and to ensure the sector is funded correctly. There will always be a certain amount of closures as it is natural for that to happen but there were 42 in County Dublin, 16 in County Cork and 13 in County Kildare. What supports a…

I am not sure if this is part of a further question but I will take the opportunity to ask it now. I refer to after-school services. I have come across a number of after-school services which are running their normal day service but cannot seem to run the after-school part or the collection part. The transport may be an issue or there is some issue around the after-schools. In the instances that I have come across, parents are being told it is to do with Covid guidelines. I do not see how that can be the case. Does…

It seems to be just myself and the Minister for the most part. I feel like much of this question was addressed in the discussion on the previous question because it is about the sustainability fund but I am interested in the breakdown detailed in the question. Is it possible to get it in written format? I would be happy to leave it at that rather than repeating the information.

Yes.

I welcome the fact it has been extended to the community, which is something I have been seeking for a long time. Is the €2 million on top of what already existed in the sustainability fund or is it a separate ring-fenced amount because of Covid?

It is for all sustainability matters.

This question is very straight forward. I am asking about the Crowe report. When does the Minister believe it might be published?

The Minister expects the report to be done by the end of September then. That would be very welcome. I remember when it was first spoken about by the previous Minister. I would have welcomed the fact that we would have an independent report into the cost of providing childcare because it is very difficult. We know for a fact the workers are not paid enough. We know for a fact that many providers are struggling and find it difficult to keep their doors open. We also know that parents constantly face a battle, first …

That has been the difficulty for so many years. There has not really been a strategy. I always refer to the additional child benefit payment that used to be paid. At one point that was seen as the solution. Then it was decided to build purpose-built facilities. While they all had a role to play, there was no proper overall strategy, and at the end of all that paying the price were the providers, the workers, the parents and, ultimately, the children, which is what this is all about. Yes, I can be sceptical myself s…

I refer to the various campaign groups we regularly see advocating, which mainly comprise parents who advocate on behalf of their own children with additional needs. In particular I mention Enough is Enough: Every Voice Counts, and at this stage everybody knows the excellent work it does. I will also reference the AsIAm survey. It is good that we have a Minister of State with responsibility for special education and I hope we will see results and very good practical solutions for families as a result. AsIAm conduct…

I commend my colleague, Deputy Ó Laoghaire, not just on bringing the motion forward but also on the work he has done on education, particularly over the past few months. I hope we will see a far more proactive approach from the Minister on the issues in the education sector. It is not just Covid-19. There are serious issues throughout education and we need to see leadership from her on them. This country has some of the largest class sizes in Europe, yet instead of taking the opportunity to address this issue now, …

Deputy Munster was to contribute to this Topical Issue debate but is unable to be here. Would Deputy Tully be able to take her time? I am open to whatever the rules are on it.