Piers Doherty

So there's issues that can be addressed, that needs to be addressed.

And one of the biggest risks that we have at the minute is the cost of living crisis that the government's ignoring.

The full cost of including not only early educators in terms of a childminding sector, but also childminders is £448 million, and that's the cost that we got from the Parliamentary Budget Office.

You're right in saying this, David.

We put this in the political agenda.

We outlined very clearly how you can actually deliver 10-year-old-day childcare, 50-year-old-a-week childcare.

And, you know, it was copied by other political parties.

The commitment was given by Fianna Gael that within six months that they would deliver the roadmap in relation to this.

We're, what, 16 months beyond the election now, and they come up with this brainwave that they will, you know, they will fix it at, what, €800 per month per child.

Like, this is nuts.

And it's a complete breach of the commitment that they gave in terms of the electorate.

This is why we're seeing, in my view, why we're seeing 16,000 more women unemployed compared to this time last year, because childcare...

is a second mortgage for people in the middle of a cost of living crisis people are making very serious decisions and we're hearing it in terms of the meetings that we're doing in terms of the cost of living crisis that people are telling us that they have to make these hard hard decisions so can it be done it's been done in other countries throughout the world is the resources there of course it's there there david in the last in the last four years we've had budget surpluses of 50 billion euro 50 billion euro now the investment that you would make in child care isn't just spend it is an investment

It is investment into the child's education.

It is investment into the family.

It is an investment into the economy.

It is what is needed, and it is what could be delivered with the right political will.

But this just shows you what a government a year and a half on from this election promise, and they fix the charges at 800 quid a month per child.

I just think they're so out of touch and not listening to the real, real concerns that people are there.

And Shane talked about employment and jobs.