Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

This morning many crèches across the country closed their doors for three days due to frustration with Government policy. As we speak, and as the Taoiseach knows, providers are now protesting at the gates of the Dáil. Of course, the big losers in this situation are thousands of families who will experience significant disruption this week - parents left in the lurch, seeking alternative childcare arrangements so that they can get out the door to work. The reality is that the provision of childcare services is in crisis and that has been the case for some time. While Government has gone some way, its policy has failed to make the scale of improvement that families are crying out for and for the majority of families, childcare remains just too expensive.

In last year's budget the Government did not go far enough to reduce costs, so we still see parents paying the equivalent of a second mortgage in childcare fees. These massive fees are an incredible financial burden on parents at the best of times, not to mind during the most serious cost-of-living crisis in 40 years.

The chronic lack of childcare spaces is also a serious problem that hits families every year. The capacity crisis is a source of enormous stress for parents right across the country. No parent should be forced to have the hard conversation about whether or not one of them might have to give up work because they have no childcare options.

At the heart of this crisis is the prolonged underinvestment by successive Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael Governments that has pushed childcare services to breaking point, sustained poor levels of pay for childcare professionals and has severely undermined the viability of childcare providers. Tá géarchéim i gcúram leanaí in Éireann faoi láthair. Tá táillí ollmhóra á n-íoc ag tuismitheoirí fós agus bíonn go leor daoine ag streachailt le háiteanna a aimsiú dá bpáistí. Caithfidh an Rialtas infheistíocht a dhéanamh sa bhuiséid chun costas cúraim leanaí a laghdú go suntasach.

The pathway to a fairer, fit-for-purpose childcare sector is greater public investment. It is now clearer than ever that the Government must increase investment, bring down fees dramatically for parents and guarantee fair pay for childcare professionals. This is how the burden can be lifted from families and how we can deliver childcare places to the level required so that no child or family is left behind. Of course, this has to be done in a planned, strategic, incremental manner, but the first step has to be to increase the affordability and accessibility of childcare services. This is essential if we want a modern, agile and resilient economy, if we want to ensure a better quality of life for families and, most importantly, if we want to ensure that every child has the best start in early education. It is time for Government to stop tinkering around the edges of the crisis and step up with real ambition.

Last year, the Government committed to cutting childcare fees by 50% over two budgets. That means an additional cut of 25% in budget 2024. Will the Taoiseach honour that commitment? I put it to him that he should, in fact, go further than that commitment. I also ask him to ensure an urgent resumption of talks to focus efforts on ensuring that childcare professionals get the wages that they deserve. Will the Taoiseach ensure in the budget that whatever necessary finances are required to make that a reality, that the Government will also provide for that?

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