I support the Bill and welcome the fact that we are promulgating this legislation. Considering it realistically, this measure will cost €122 million, so it is quite a significant intervention by the Government. To be fair, that has to be acknowledged. If €100 for every child is being put into households in June, that has to be acknowledged. I will say that first and foremost. For the record, I would like to understand the manner in which the legislation is being brought forward and will seek clarification from the …

You were.

I ask the Minister what engagement he has had with the Taoiseach and the Minister for Health regarding the serious issue of vacancies that are arising in children's disability network teams, CDNTs, throughout the country where we know there is a significant vacancy rate of 31% at present within the section 39 organisations?

I acknowledge the Minister's response. The Labour Party feels strongly that the key to filling vacancies is the issue of pay parity. The lack of this between section 39 organisations and the HSE, for instance, is having a major impact on the ability of these organisations and CDNTs to recruit. Does the Minister acknowledge that the joint statement by Fórsa, the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation, INMO, and SIPTU in respect of the potential for the Workplace Relations Commission, WRC, to engage in a process on t…

As the Minister sits in Cabinet, I am sure he has a view on these matters. Given there is clearly a major issue concerning the disparity in pay between organisations, CDNTs are not going to function until such time as, I respectfully suggest, pay parity is addressed. I refer to there being some signal from the Minister to us this morning to show he acknowledges that the pay differentials are significant and that this is having a knock-on effect concerning the ability to recruit. The very existence of section 39 org…

In support of Deputy Stanton and to dovetail with his question, I formally ask the Minister to consider visiting the Down's syndrome facility in Ballincollig, Field of Dreams, where he will meet absolutely amazing people who have issues with access to public transport and transport on a personalised basis. I extend the invitation to the Minister specifically to visit that facility in Ballincollig which does amazing work. The people are absolutely amazing. It has what I call a market garden facility which sells exce…

On the way out of Dublin for the day, the Minister should come down to Cork and we will show him.

Can we write to him to invite him?

What have been the benefits and the number of people affected by the implementation of the employment regulation order, ERO? How many have benefitted from the new wage structures?

Perversely, the raising of standards of living for people working in the sector has had a negative impact on those providing community services under the early childhood care and education, ECCE, scheme. I have been contacted by one such provider of long standing who tells me the increase in wages has had a serious impact on her core funding, such that her ability to pay everybody equally in her service is impacted. Will the Minister consider a review or survey of early years providers - ECCE schemes in particular …

I welcome that. I was not aware of it. If that is the position and if I have a case of a sessional service where there is an impact on core funding and it has not engaged with the independent process, is it possible for me to refer that directly in at this late stage?

We are within the time and I have another question.

This service has a long-standing fantastic reputation with very genuine people and is community minded. If I may ask on behalf of this particular service, if at all possible will the Minister continue to engage with me on it? It is reflective of many other services that may not have come into the Minister's process. For the record, I acknowledge the Minister's nod of assent in response.

We spoke about CDNTs earlier in a question I raised. To give the Minister a further perspective on CHO 4, which is my area, it has a caseload of 555 children and the number of staff available is 13.5%. There is a vacancy rate of 38%. The number of therapeutic hours available according to a report issued recently stands at 5,815 per annum. The end result is that a mere 10.4 hours are available per child per year. This is completely and utterly unsustainable no matter what way we look at it. We are trying to be of as…

How many childcare providers have exited the ECCE scheme since 2022?

Notwithstanding those figures, does the Minister acknowledge that fact that more and more providers now are not able to provide services because there is a recruitment of staff issue? I am aware of one situation in my own neck of the woods in north Cork. One provider contacted me to say she simply cannot hire additional staff and that then has a knock-on effect. The effect is reduced ECCE hours as a consequence of that. We also note the fact that in Dublin's north-east inner city, there is a serious issue with rega…

Deputy Jim O'Callaghan turned down the chance to become a Minister.

But-----

That is patronising.

I am disappointed.