How many people, by county, are waiting for childcare places at this time across each of the offerings being provided by the Minister's Department? I ask for that information to be given in tabular form, with a county-by-county breakdown.

I ask that the Minister read out the data for Cork. We will start there.

I appreciate that the Minister stated percentage increases but I do not see any hard figures. All of us in the Opposition rely on hard figures. I appreciate the point the Minister is making, if I am reading him correctly, that it is not possible to give an exact top-line figure for the number of people waiting. However, it is clear from the running theme in the questions so far this morning that there is an evidence base that there is a shortage of places. I am merely trying to interrogate how many more places we n…

It would be useful if the Minister could furnish me with the reply and the breakdown by county in numerical form as opposed to percentage increase form. I reiterate the point I made on the movement towards a public model. The Taoiseach, on 11 September, stated, “I want childcare to be part of the public education system”. That is the Taoiseach saying that. He also said there was “more work to be done” around available places and expressed concern about places. I note the Minister’s response and the moves within his…

He is the Taoiseach of the country.

On the point Deputy Kerrane makes, in his public utterances I perceive that the Minister is very cautious about saying anything overt about the need for a public, State-funded model. We all acknowledge the incremental progress that has been made as regards the supports provided by the State. Where is the Minister's thinking, based on the Taoiseach's comments, around the idea that we align early-years and preschool provision with primary and post-primary education, whereby the State intervenes to pay staff within th…

I do not want to cause a row, and I accept that the Minister sets out his party's view, but, with all due respect to him, he is here as the Minister, so what is the Minister's view? With all due respect to him, it is not a matter for me what the Minister's position is as leader of a party. I am asking the question to the Minister of the day about a publicly funded model.

Can the Minister not separate the two roles?

I thank the Minister.

Hear, hear.

I rise to support the motion and while we acknowledge that the Government is not opposing the motion, they are certainly not supporting it. That has to be said. The motion is very clear and succinct. It is refreshing that there is such brevity in the wording of a motion.

There is also clarity of thought and purpose, as Deputy Naughten said. The Minister of State said: The reality is that abolishing the means test would result in people who may have higher sources of income benefitting while reducing the scope for the Department to provide income supports to lower income thresholds. He went on to say, "Officials in the Department have conservatively estimated that the cost of removing the means test for carer's allowance would be an additional €600 million per annum [a year] ... ". …

We move to the Regional Group and Deputy Canney, who is sharing time with Deputies Lowry and Tóibín.

Deputy, can I just say-----

I am very happy to give the Deputy his time on the clock. However, I am a voluntary Chair and he is making assertions about a particular person. Because I am a voluntary Chair, I do not feel equipped, nor are any of my colleagues who chair voluntarily, equipped to be able to deal with the assertions he is making. On that basis, I am calling for the suspension of the House to allow for the Leas-Cheann Comhairle or the Ceann Comhairle to come in and deal with these issues.

First, I congratulate the Minister of State, Deputy Lawless, on his appointment. I am sure his relations in Mitchelstown, Baile an Mhistéalaigh, will be very proud of his elevation.

I will quote for the record the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donnell, who replied to a Topical Issue on this subject when Deputy Duncan Smith and I raised it 12 months ago: on 9 March 2023, An Post wrote to the Department seeking consent to the second phase of their current pay agreement which provides for a 2% increase in pay from 1 January 2023. In addition to this, on foot of a recent Labour Court decision, An Post also wrote to the Department on 9 March seeking approval to make increases to pensions in payment a…

This is a paraphrasing of the same reply we received 12 months ago, in essence, using NewERA and saying it is kicking the tyres on this 12 months later. Does it take 12 months for NewERA to kick the tyres on such a proposal? The members of the scheme want and are entitled to answers. We want certainty from the Government on whether this will be paid.

I am happy to clarify. The reply from the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donnell, stated exactly the same thing in 2023.

The workers have not been paid.