There is an issue that has come to me in Dublin Fingal West, although it affects the country at large. I refer to the spiralling cost of summer camps and the financial burden it is placing on households earning lower to middle incomes. One parent told me that they were paying €160 a week for three hours over four days. If a family has two or three children, that cost may put these opportunities completely out of reach. I raised this last week as a Topical Issue but the response focused on childcare and the national childcare scheme, NCS. With respect, that missed the point I was trying to make. Summer camps are effectively run by the likes of sports clubs. Nobody is asking for camps to be made free. We recognise that providers face genuine costs. They deserve supports for the valuable services they provide. Will the Department examine the introduction of a means-tested summer camp subsidy in budget 2027 so that no child misses out simply because his or her family cannot afford summer camp fees?

Sentiment score: 0.18

Yes, but on a means-tested basis.

Sentiment score: 0.21