Michael McNamara (Clare, Independent) | Oireachtas source

What do Barnardos and IBEC have in common? The answer is very little, usually. One thing they have in common is an emphasis on the necessity for childcare, which they both emphasised in the run-in to the last budget and previous budgets.

Previous speakers have outlined the impact that childcare is having on the ability of parents to go out to work. There are many parents across the country, male and female but particularly female, who cannot join the workforce. We know that our economy is rebounding well notwithstanding the huge pressures that inflation is putting on it, but there is a labour shortage across much of the country. I would advocate that the Minister really look at childcare and that we have a Donogh O'Malley moment whereby we introduce the fundamental right to childcare in Ireland which is free at source. One of the reasons I do so is the impact the lack of childcare is having on our economy. Another very fundamental reason is it is a way to target childhood poverty and to be absolutely certain that children have a place to go where they are not disadvantaged. Unfortunately, no matter what State interventions we put in place, children from certain backgrounds incur huge disadvantage in their homes.

As men who are fighting cannot leave the Ukraine, a high proportion of those who are coming here at women. The lack of childcare facilities in Ireland will come as a huge surprise to them, I expect. Across the Soviet Union, one of the things that they did get right - they got an awful lot wrong - was an emphasis on childcare in every town, village and community. I would urge that this country move in that direction. We need to really look at the feasibility of doing that. It will cost a lot of money, but the returns are equally great.

Like many previous speakers I too have been contacted by childcare providers from across my constituency. I was contacted by a provider from my home town of Scarriff, who pointed out that in 2011 the Government effectively took over the sector in which she had worked for almost 20 years prior to 2011 and paid €64 per child per week to her. Eleven years later, the rate is €67 per child per week. We talk a lot about inflation. The rising costs involved are not reflected in that increase. That is something that needs to be reflected on.

We also talk a lot in this House about trying to encourage more representation from women, in particular young women. Childcare provision in the Houses of the Oireachtas is utterly inadequate. One has to book a child in years in advance. That is fine if one is a civil servant in the Houses, and they too need to be looked after, but as a Deputy cannot know when he or she is likely to elected or re-elected how can that Deputy book in a child in advance? There is an Oireachtas crèche but there are no children of Oireachtas Members in it. If there are, they are very few in number. There are bigger issues for society than Deputies-----

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