Kathleen Funchion urges clarity on programme support payment

I want to welcome the programme support payment. I think that's a good thing. I really hope it is $1,500 and that it's not going to end up more places get less than the $1,500. I think that sounds like it's an average deputy. Yeah, I know. That's what I'm kind of nervous of. That is for some people is it only maybe going to be $500 and it won't actually be of much benefit to them. But I do welcome it and I think it's good because this meeting I feel was supposed to be solution focused and there's lots of things we could say. But I think we do have to try and focus on the solution. So Deputy Sherlock has asked a lot of the questions I had in relation to the programme support payment. People will get this payment automatically by the 28th of December. They don't have to go filling in forms, making phone calls. Okay. And for the people then that this isn't sufficient, because you'll often find people would say contact Pubble, contact the city or the county child care committee. But when they do that, they don't necessarily get the answers that even yourselves might think they're going to get. Like we even have that sometimes with Tuster. They say we have a helpline. And then when you talk to people, they say you can't get anywhere with that helpline. Is there a concrete place or person that they can speak to if they're really having difficulties? Yes. Even in a temporary capacity. Yes. And I just want to make the point, and I've often said this at these meetings, that we really are the voices of the people that we represent, not just our own constituents, but anyone that's in relation to the early years in child care sector for this particular issue. And there is total panic this week. And I just feel like it always seems to land on the shoulders of the workers and the providers in the early years in child care. They always seem to get the wrong end of everything. You know, they had to panic about the re-registration. And now we hear they're accepting people after the deadline. But, you know, the stress that that causes on people and the worry. And, you know, there's loads of examples. One person from Donegal, their premium is going from 1,800 to 4,275. And that's a huge increase. Increase. In Kilkenny, a 2,200 euro increase. In Tala, a 1,000 euro increase. So, what I welcome, and for some of those people, 1,500 euro will be a help, but for some of them, it won't. I think we really need to know where we can point people that the 1,500 euro is not going to cut it because otherwise we will see services closing. And that doesn't just mean kids being left without their place that they rely on. It means parents trying to get to work. It means workers who are working in the area, particularly in rural areas where, you know, it might be one of the main employers, a local child care provider. So, it's just really important. I just feel like, you know, again, the child care in early years sort of gets the raw end of the stick. And I welcome that we did have this meeting and that you did come in at short notice, because at least I feel it's given some recognition to them as well, that they are an extremely, extremely important sector. So, they're my real main questions. I could say, you know, but I don't think, you know, I think we have to try to focus on the solutions, so. Thank you. And I appreciate all your comments and the spirit that you're making them in. And again, you know, it's important to say it is an average payment. It is. And in light of some of the comments you're making, I am trying to be explicit that it is actually responding to what you're also saying in terms of it has been really difficult, incredible stress, lots of pressure. I am aware of that. And a lot of it coming from a substantial, really a substantial portion of it coming from the additional administrative burden, re-registration, which I think people accept has to be done. But it's still it's the first time the re-registration has happened. Some of the things have changed in that regard. And then also the national child care scheme. I mean, again, that's hopefully a once off. So so that is the reason it is not it is not to pay insurance, per se. It is it is effectively to acknowledge the pressure and the stresses that have to do that with the come along with the year and especially in an administrative capacity. In your question around if it's suppose it doesn't, you know, really meet all of the increased costs. I think what I'm saying there's at least two ways in which we're offering support that at once off program support payment. And then and you are also referring to that if if in fact they find themselves in an unsustainable position, then they do need to contact. And I just asked Bernie here, you know, I mean, still to contact CCC or PUBL first if they can't get through to contact us. And if they're contacting us about that, we'll know that we'll know that it that it is urgent. But we really would ask and we would because we'll be back in touch with them in relation to how important it is in terms of this particular issue. So it is there is and I think so going back to then the questions around the substantial the 200, 300 percent, maybe even more than that. We have to we have to if it if it's causing certainly causing a sustainability concern or issue that then we need to hear then we need to hear from the provider. Secondly, I'm also indicating that I want to immediately begin to collect the information about the percentages of increase the data so that we better understand what's going on and what changes are now in relation to the sector, particularly because at the moment there is only one insurer, even though that we hope that that changes. So. So. So. So. So. So. So. So.