Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The single affordable child care scheme is a major initiative I am pursuing specifically to ensure that the costs of child care are lowered for families, in particular those on lower incomes. Irish child care costs are among the highest in the world and the burden on many families is unacceptably high. While this aspect of the Irish situation is similar to the USA, in other respects the situation in Ireland is quite different. Some countries are seeing undue pressure on women to enter the workforce or to return to work immediately after giving birth. However, the OECD and the European Commission have noted that the participation of women in the labour force in Ireland is significantly lower than in other countries. Parents should be able to access all the social, personal and economic benefits of participation in the labour force if they so choose while also being afforded the necessary flexibility and support to enable them to care for their children, particularly during their crucial early years. I am committed to improving the situation of all parents and, in particular, all children, whatever care arrangements are chosen, and to reflecting international evidence on how to attain the best outcomes for children in policies brought forward by my Department.

I support the extension of parental leave for parents and will continue to work with my Cabinet colleagues to achieve this. The Government has also provided additional support for stay at home parents through the home carer tax credit, which has been increased to €1,100 per year.

The single affordable child care scheme has been criticised by some who claim that I am somehow discriminating against parents who remain at home to care for children or child minders or relatives who provide care for children. This is absolutely not the case and I am keen to advance support for all of these families, whether by enabling child minders to participate in the affordable child care scheme or by providing other means of support to families. If the Deputy has suggestions as to how I might address these needs, I would be happy to discuss these important issues with him.

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