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

In the context of the cost-of-living crisis, I will raise the critical issue of childcare. We know that costs of childcare for parents are far too high, wages for early years professionals are too low and there is an abject shortage of places for children. Across my constituency, I hear all the time from parents who are worn out from trying to find a crèche or early years education place or who have been told there is no preschool facility available for their child until 2024. We need a guarantee - a Donogh O'Malley moment - to ensure that every child will have a preschool and early years place available to him or her. I know the new core funding model was published this week but we need the Government to take meaningful steps to achieve a universal public childcare system. I ask the Tánaiste and the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, to indicate what steps are being taken to guarantee every child will have an early years place when he or she needs it, every early years educator will get decent pay and parents will have affordable childcare available to them.

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