THE Minister for Equality and Law Reform has warned that the Progressive Democrats and Fianna Fail in the new government would badly affect childcare services.
Speaking in Cork yesterday, where he canvassed with Ms Sheila O'Sullivan, the Labour candidate in Cork North Central, Mr Taylor said immense strides had been made in the area of childcare services, but in the programmes of cutbacks proposed by the Progressive Democrats, there appeared to be no reference to the need for such services, and it was likely they would be diminished.
Mr Taylor said when he took office, there were few government-sponsored childcare services. Under his stewardship - a new emphasis had been put on childcare services and he has secured Cabinet agreement for funding of £1 million a year. Some 141 community childcare centres had been established.
Asked if he had been put under any pressure to reverse his decision to leave politics, Mr Taylor said he had, but his decision was final.