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

I accept all that. The problem is that despite the fact that it should not be happening, it is happening. That presents an immediate problem for parents. They have been saying to me that Covid has made it obvious that childcare needs to be a priority and that while inflation sits at 1.6%, childcare costs are being increased by 20% by the provider in question. Ireland has the second lowest rate of expenditure on early childhood care and education in the OECD. Faced with having to choose between a career and caring for children due to lack of options, many parents have no alternatives or family supports. A very worthwhile point the parents make is that having a system with a pricing structure without any regulatory restrictions lies at the heart of this. We have constantly said in this House that while we welcome the attempts of the Department to provide childcare with universal supports, it is really only a start. It does not address the key problem, which is the fragmented, privatised nature of the care of children and the lack of genuine State involvement in ensuring it is of high quality, accessible and affordable to all. I would like the Minister to address that.

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