Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I am very conscious of the childcare costs experienced by parents and I have been fully determined to address this issue since I became Minister.

In the context of this year’s budget, I have stated publicly that early learning and childcare is a key priority for me. In particular, I have indicated that I will be seeking additional investment to ensure providers can operate sustainably; their employees can benefit from improved pay and conditions; there is improved accessibility for children; and, as the Deputy said, there is improved affordability for parents.

Early learning and childcare is a public good and brings benefits to society as a whole. The importance of these services has become all the more evident during the pandemic we have just gone through. We need additional public investment in order to fully realise the ambitions we have for this sector. With this in mind, the programme for Government undertakes to fulfilling the commitment in First 5. That will include an investment target of €1 billion in childcare by 2028.

I am pleased that an expert group has been working with my Department to help guide future decisions about public investment in early learning and childcare. This group is comprised of national and international experts who have significant experience in the area of early learning and childcare, the systems it operates and its funding. An independently chaired group, it has undertaken an in-depth programme of research and analysis and engaged in an extensive and detailed stakeholder consultation. The group has commissioned a series of reports examining various issues, in particular international comparisons, approaches to reducing cost to parents and mechanisms to control fees internationally. The report of the expert group is being drafted and is on track to be submitted to me in November. I have met the chair of the group and I have been briefed on its progress. This has very much informed my Department’s bid in the context of this year’s budget Estimates.

I will deal with a number of closely-related questions on childcare costs and investment this morning and I hope to have an opportunity to expand further on these issues. I obviously cannot give details of the budget at this stage but I know this is an issue about which the Deputy and other Deputies are concerned.

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