The Labour Party has said it would provide 30,000 additional childcare places over the term of the next government if in power with the party saying 100 new services would be established each year.
Thousands of extra staff would be recruited with the process helped by improved pay while fees would immediately be capped at €200 per child per month as part of a move towards a universal and publicly provided system of early childhood education and care, the party said at the launch of its plan for the sector on Thursday.
“Across the country parents are crying out for affordable, accessible, quality and reliable childcare,” said the party’s Senator, Marie Sherlock. “Ireland still has some of the most expensive childcare fees in the OECD [Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development]. This needs to end”
While State spending had increased substantially over the term of the current Government, it was suggested, many parents had not experienced anything like the percentage fee reductions claimed.
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“In Dublin two working parents will still be paying €700-€800 a month for full-time care for a child. It’s not affordable,” she said.
The party’s policy includes the provision of 6,000 new childcare places at 100 new facilities collectively employing more than 1,000 additional staff each year. The party puts the additional annual investment involved at €53 million with the operating costs involved reaching €300 million by year five.
“We will map where demand is highest nationwide, and where there is a shortage of places to end the annual hunt undertaken by new parents in particular,” said Ms Sherlock.
“Responsibility for the public system will eventually move to a new national agency for early years education and school age care. Labour will invest in building new facilities and co-locate where possible with new and existing schools. At least €70m total a year will be provided to fund a capital building programme.”
Pay would also be increased for the more than 30,000 people working in the sector, most of them women, many of them earning the minimum rate of €13.65 per hours, which the party notes, will be just 15 cent more than the minimum wage when that increased to €13.50 per hour on January 1st.
Childcare has emerged as a big issue for the parties before the coming election with Sinn Féin, the Social Democrats and Fine Gael all advocating caps on the fees by parents in the region of €10 a day. People Before Profit has suggested eliminating them entirely.
There has also been widespread support expressed for more direct State involvement in the sector with Roderic O’Gorman saying the greens, for instance, favour the establishment of State-run services in areas where there is a particular shortage of places.
Fine Gael, which has appointed Neale Richmond as its spokesperson on childcare and early education, is to include the establishment of 100 State-run services in publicly owned buildings and the provision of more services close to existing schools in its manifesto for the forthcoming election.
The National Women’s Council says thousands of parents have emailed political parties urging them to commit to improved funding and services in response to a campaign it launched recently.
“There is a clear mandate for political parties to act and outline their proposals for tackling the childcare crisis during the general election campaign and in the next Programme for Government,” said NWCI director, Orla O’Connor.
“Our current system of childcare is not fit for purpose and needs substantial change. We know that the best way to deliver affordable, accessible quality childcare is through a public system of early childhood education and care, similar to our primary school system,” she said.
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