Michael Kitt (Galway East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I will start by commending Deputy Troy on tabling this motion. I concur with the Deputies who referred to the many fine Ministers that we have had since 2000 when the equal opportunities programme was introduced, up to and including the current Minister and her commitment. However, there is always a "but". Something that has always been said to us as public representatives is that major challenges lie ahead and that there is a low rate of child care provision.

I meet a group regularly. I am sure that many Deputies and Senators meet it every time there is a budget. I am referring to Early Childhood Ireland, which represents more than 80% of preschools and crèches.

The group has often raised the issue of the cost of child care, including prior to the last budget.

Deputy Troy proposed a direct payment to families related to the cost of child care, through the family income supplement scheme. I understand that 32,000 families currently receive this payment. It is important to widen the range of child care options that are available, particularly for low income working families, and to include the privately managed child care services, including registered child minders. Early Childhood Ireland refers to tax credits and some form of subsidy. If these issues are not addressed, the organisation states that we will see a greater number of children being cared for under private arrangements, where there are no regulations or inspections, or where there are no appropriately qualified staff, which perhaps is even more concerning.

We believe that the provision of child care and employment are interdependent, and there should be policies which act as an incentive for working parents to remain in or return to employment. This is also related to tackling the issue of child poverty. I commend the work done by Indecon consultants for Donegal County Childcare Committee, which examined the provision and affordability of child care in Ireland, in the context of labour market participation. The report stated that a quarter of Irish parents have been prevented from returning to employment or training due to prohibitive child care costs. The report also refers to the fact that parents in lower income groups are particularly badly hit by the recession; 56% of parents have been prevented from looking for a job due to child care costs. The figures show that child care costs are found to account for about 29% of net income for a couple, and almost 50% of net income for lone parents. The comparable figures in the EU are 9.8% and 9% respectively for couples and lone parents. Looking at those figures and the OECD figures, Ireland is the second most costly country for child care in net terms, as a percentage of wages. Child care costs can exceed mortgage payments as the largest monthly bill for families with young children. The financial pressure involved in child care means that thousands of working parents, particularly mothers, face a stark choice of quitting work due to the high cost of child care, or continuing their careers while losing money. We all know that many households have less money at this time.

There have been many positive developments in early childhood care and education, especially since 2000, when extra capacity was provided. I recall that €1 million was the standard provision for each child care centre. Between 2000 and 2007, some 40,000 child care places were provided under the equal opportunities child care programme. However, we are less advanced than our European counterparts in respect of investment and policy implementation for children under the statutory school age. For that reason, it is important to have increasing investment based on GDP over the next few years. The issue of relating funding to GDP has been very much a feature of other Departments. For example, the overseas aid budget at the Department of Foreign Affairs is related to GDP.

It is also important to have a policy on the inclusion of children with special educational needs in early childhood services. It is disappointing that there is a varying level of services across counties and regions. That should not be the case, because we got rid of the regional health boards and the HSE should have a national policy rather than discretion in local areas. I support what Deputy Troy has proposed here tonight.

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