Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The Tánaiste is right that it is changing. I will outline what the changes are. In 24 out of 30 areas, the cost for full-time childcare is increasing. In Cork, it increased by €15.29 per week, by €18.70 in Kerry, €15.60 in Donegal, €14.18 in Laois and €14.27 Leitrim. I could go on and outline the other 19 counties where the cost of childcare has increased. The reality is that the measures being introduced by the Government are not keeping pace with the increase in fees being charged to hard-pressed families. That is at a point when we have the highest cost of childcare in the developed world. There needs to be radical action, more support and reform of the universal child credit. The report stipulates clearly that the capacity within the system is not keeping pace with demand. It also makes it clear that because of the issue with low wages in the sector, we are losing high-quality, highly-trained people with more academic progression than ever seen before, yet the turnaround in a year is 24% of staff. Unless we deal with this and get our heads out of the sand, we will see more and more pressure not only in the childcare sector but for families. Will the Tánaiste not look at proposals that we have put forward that would cut the cost of childcare in half and ensure that every worker in the sector would, at a minimum, have the living wage?

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