Parents “crying out” for affordable childcare say Labour

The Sligo-Leitrim Labour Party has criticised comments made by Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, on cutting childcare costs following backlash over comments he made stating that a 25 per cent cut may not be reached.

Cuts of 25 per cent were introduced as part of Budget 2023 however Mr Varadkar recently stated that he was "not sure we can go as far as 25 per cent" in the next Budget.

Mr Varadkar said: "One of my priorities in Government is making sure that we put money back into the pockets of Irish families.

"We did both in the last Budget. We intend to do both in the next Budget. There will be further reduction in the cost of childcare for families next year, you can be sure of that.

"As is the case with any particular Budget matter, the figures aren't agreed yet.

Bernie Linnane, Local Area Representative for Leitrim, said that working parents in Dromahair and throughout the constituency are “crying out for support as spaces become fewer and farther between.
"Below-average levels of State investment mean that lack of availability of places for children, and low wages for those working in the sector, persist in all corners of Sligo and Leitrim, as my Sligo colleague, Nessa Cosgrove, and I saw when we accompanied our party leader, Ivana Bacik, to visit several Early Years facilities, including Dromahair, in February."

Ms Linnane continued that she believed “childcare should be seen as an integral part of a State-funded education system. We take for granted that the State has a responsibility to care for our children through primary and secondary school. There is no reason to abdicate this responsibility during a child's earliest, and most impressionable, years.”

She noted that in 2010, the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Scheme was introduced, which offered a free pre-school year to all children. “This was extended in 2018 to provide two years of pre-school education to children usually aged between two and a half and six years. This Government funding theoretically provides for three hours a day, five days a week, 38 weeks a year. However, due to chronic underfunding, many Early Years Services are unable to offer places to all the children who wish to attend.

"For instance, in Dromahair, the community setting is registered for 22 children. However in 2022/23, 27 children wished to enroll on ECCE. In order to be as fair as possible, sixteen children were given five days and eleven were given three days," she explained.

"Next year the situation will be even more difficult as 35 children wish to enroll on ECCE. Twenty have been allocated five days while children will share the remaining places.

"The Labour Party wants to introduce a publicly funded, universal and affordable childcare scheme which would be accessible to all. This would require the State to invest in both facilities and staff who care for and nurture our children. These Early Years Educators play a most important, fundamental role in our young children's lives. They must be remunerated accordingly."

She concluded: "There is a lot to do to bring our care system in Ireland up to scratch. Caring and childcare responsibilities still fall predominantly on women, which can limit their employment opportunities. A cost-effective, accessible childcare model could give more women the chance and the choice to work, in these days of record employment.