ANALYSIS: Political Reporter Alison O'Connor examines the different childcare promises being made by the political parties
Childcare is an issue which the Government fears may result in a backlash from parents fed up with the lack of places for their young and the ever-increasing fees for those that are available.
The subject is treated fairly comprehensively in the manifestos of all the political parties. Close to the top of their agendas, there is a range of promises on offer.
Fianna Fáil says it will continue to concentrate on child benefit increases after trebling the payment during the lifetime of the Government. It wants to support all parents irrespective of their income. It does not agree with giving tax credits, saying the 690,000 people who have been taken out of the tax net would not benefit.
The party says it will continue to support women who wish to participate in the labour force with a "continuing increase in the provision of affordable childcare facilities, and the obligation on firms to provide family-friendly work arrangements". It also promises to strengthen the parental leave scheme in line with the recommendations of the social partners.
Fianna Fáil says it would ensure that early education services deliver "the maximum benefit for all children, introducing a national early education, training, support and certification system, and expand State-funded early-education places".
Priority would be give to a new national system of funded early education for children with intellectual disabilities, and children in areas of concentrated disadvantage.
Fine Gael's headline childcare pledge is a 20 per cent tax credit for vouched childcare expenses.
The party counters the Fianna Fáil charge that it is doing nothing for informal child-minding arran- gements, where a relative or friend looks after a child, by saying that these people end up with no pension and other rights and a way has to be found to support them.
As a measure to bring informal childcare arrangements out of the tax net, Labour is proposing a €6,000 tax relief, similar to that introduced for people who rent out a room.
Fine Gael also intends to "enhance the position of stay-at-home parents" by using the individualisation process to "equalise up" those people who have been disadvantaged by the process.
The Government's underspend of €19 million in the 2001 childcare budget is a scandal, say Fine Gael, at a time when some parents have to pay up to €1,200 a month on childcare.
It points out that it is now the norm for both parents to work, often not from choice but to meet a mortgage. It would support the role of parents through longer maternal leave and financial support for paternal leave.
It would fund childcare and pre-schooling through a €1,200 capitation grant. It would also provide community child centres, and ensure "world class standards" in childcare, both public and private. An infancy grant of €300 to parents to meet the costs of a new baby is also proposed.
Labour is guaranteeing that all children between the ages of three and four years would have a free place in pre-school before beginning primary school. They point out that less than 3 per cent of Irish children enjoy a State-sponsored pre-school place. It is also promising €50 a week for parents of children under three years towards the cost of paid care and recognition of home care to begin at the end of maternity leave.
Labour says it will "enhance" maternity leave and parental leave with a new system of paid family leave for both parents. It also proposes a significant increase in provision for childcare facilities for working parents. It promises to introduce a right to work part-time for a defined period after the birth of a child. This, however, would not happen where an employer can show that "it would not be reasonably practicable to provide a part-time position".
In addition, it says, the maternity protection legislation would be reviewed alongside the adoptive and parental leave laws "with a view to strengthening the rights of the employee".
The PDs have a detailed childcare section in their manifesto. The party is proposing a two-year working visa scheme for international child-minders.
Parents, they say, are in the best position to decide what are the best childcare arrangements for their families. Some choose to use creches and day centres; others make informal arrangements with friends and families; while others employ part-time or full-time child-minders in their homes.
Child benefit, they say, is a "fair and equal support" for all parents and is a direct payment which women, by and large, manage and budget for in their families.
When parents decide to use childcare outside the family, the PDs say they will take action to increase the supply of facilities and of childcare staff. They will fund 40,000 new childcare places and increase capital grants for community and childcare facilities to €100,000, subject to overall compliance with EU state-aid rules.
They would amend the planning laws to make it easier to obtain planning permission for childcare facilities.
The Greens say they would base childcare initiatives on the needs of the child and parents rather than on the needs of the workplace. They would also increase support to home-based childcare. They have pledged to redirect the childcare provisions of €368 million in the National Development Plan "towards more creative policies, such as substantial long-term maternity/paternity leave".
They would also ensure that a range of childcare facilities are put in place prioritising access and affordability for those living on low incomes. All pre-school children from the age of three would have access to free pre-school education.