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Minister for Children Katherine Zappone has admitted that Irish parents pay too much for childcare.
“It’s too much for parents to pay, I accept that,” she told Newstalk Breakfast.
“I think it’s also the case that there have been decades of under-investment.”
She was responding to the findings of a survey undertaken by Newstalk, which found that the average national monthly cost for childcare is now €745. That is an increase of €40 since 2013.
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“That’s why it’s on the one hand, for parents to know — yes it’s too much to pay — but on the other hand since 2016 we’ve increased our investment by over 80 per cent.
“So I guess one of the things I would say is that without that increased investment, probably the prices would be higher and less children would be benefiting.
“I do accept that that doesn’t necessarily make parents feel any better in that regard — but what I can say is that since I’ve come in we’ve had significant increased investment and I am absolutely determined to continue that path”.
Ms Zappone added that she is meeting Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe next week, "and so this really supports my call".
She also pointed that there will be increases to providers from next month, which were announced in Budget 2018.
“My preferred model is a model that is really based on international evidence, and that is the one that we’re pursuing.
“If you have a mixture of private and non-profit providers … the best way is for us as a Government to provide subsidisation to the costs that the providers offer to the parents.”
More than 130 creches and childcare providers throughout the country took part in the Newstalk survey.
It asked for the cost of a two-year old child in full-time care for five days a week.
The county with the highest costs is Dublin, with an average of €1,047 per month — an €84 increase from five years ago — when Newstalk conducted a similar survey.
The county with the lowest costs is Longford with an average monthly charge of €650.