Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for his kind words. It is indeed an honour to have been elected as leader of the Labour Party. It is also a big responsibility and a challenge. I look forward to ensuring we grow the support for that strong labour voice and message that is so sorely needed. It is a strong centre-left and red-green voice that seeks to deliver progressive and positive change and a more equal society and, as part of that, to deliver on change for childcare.

I note what the Minister said, but parents need to see a change urgently. We know that care work is very gendered in our society, that 98% of those working as early years professionals are women and that they remain undervalued and underpaid. We need to see urgent change on that. We also need real change to ensure parental choice. Of course it is about parental choice, but currently high fees and lack of places are forcing parents to have no choice and, as such, parents cannot, for example, return to work. We heard this morning about a woman who is struggling to find a childcare place in Dublin. She will not able to return to work because there is not an affordable childcare place available to her. Parents have no choices and children currently do not have equality.

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