Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for his response. The crux of the matter is that our child-care costs are among the most expensive in the world; we are up there with the US. It costs €2,000 per month for two children in a crèche, which is a shocking indictment.

We are told that the country is in a better position financially and that €500 million to €700 million to give out in the next budget. Is the Minister considering providing a tax credit to couples so that in particular talented women can remain in the workforce to help towards the cost of mortgage repayments, which is a second mortgage in the case of many families? It is costing the economy a considerable amount of money.

I previously quoted from the baby brain drain study which indicated that 3,000 new mothers leave the workforce annually which costs €68 million. We are depriving women of the opportunity to work and this could easily be remedied. I know that the country has been in a very bad place financially over the past ten years or so. We now have an opportunity to help families in the squeezed middle who are facing huge weekly costs. I hope the Minister can provide some hope for those people.

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