Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

I want to pre-empt my question by acknowledging that childcare was one of the first industries to be severely hit by the coronavirus pandemic when services shut down on 12 March last year. Workers and parents were affected but there has also been an impact on the provision of care. My question is not getting at anyone; it is about the massive increase, by as much as 20%, in childcare fees for parents. In parts of Dublin 8, such as Islandbridge and Rialto, which are in the constituency I represent, one provider in the main, Safari Childcare, provides the care. It has increased fees by 20%, which is causing enormous problems for parents and depriving some children of the childcare needed.

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