Dessie Ellis (Dublin North West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Working parents who are trying to hold down a job and at the same time care for young children find it difficult and stressful to do both. This is particularly acute when there is no family member who can act as a caregiver to the child or if the job has no flexibility in working hours. These days few parents can afford to stay at home because of the ever-increasing cost of living, the runaway rents, and so on. A single income is just not sufficient to maintain a decent standard of living or for a family to stay financially afloat. The cost of childcare has led to mothers leaving the workforce because of the enormous financial strain on family finances caused by the high cost of childcare which can often be as high as a mortgage.

The Government's response to childcare providers was the introduction of a grant scheme for early learning and child care services. In my own constituency and around other areas of Dublin, childcare providers have been forced to leave the scheme and to pass on the extra costs in doing so to the parents. The reason that childcare providers have had to leave the scheme is because the Government has failed to offset inflationary costs in overheads and in employment.

Childcare providers in my constituency have also criticised the Government for failing to properly invest in the early years sector in comparison with other EU countries. Sinn Féin will reverse this failure to provide proper investment for childcare services. We have looked at existing models of childcare provision in other countries which have proved to be both successful and affordable. Sinn Féin has a plan to deliver €10-a-day childcare. Low-cost childcare services are already being implemented in other countries. Proper childcare services are essential for job security and helping parents to enter the workforce. Sinn Féin’s childcare plan will give parents peace of mind and ease the financial burden of childcare costs on them.

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