Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am grateful for the opportunity to speak on this motion regarding childcare. I fully support the motion, particularly as it calls on the Government to make childcare more affordable for parents and to increase pay for early years educators. However, I do not believe the motion goes far enough. Really we should be aiming for public childcare that is completely State funded. Parents are not only expected to go out and work, they have to. We should be aiming to provide a system that allows a parent to stay at home with their children and raise them and for that to be valued in this society, rather than pushing people out to work. In this economy, two incomes are needed to make ends meet and most parents are forced to work in order to get by, leaving them with no choice but to put the children into childcare. They are then faced with a lack of available childcare, particularly if their child has any additional needs, and punished with extortionate childcare fees. Over the last few days I have been talking to many constituents of mine in Donegal about the childcare challenges they face. One constituent had to go to another county to access childcare while another described how there are no SNAs available for their child with additional needs in any of the new childcare facilities. They described how they and their partner have to work full-time to pay bills and live, and said it is a constant battle with services and the lack of them, and never-ending worry. The term most often used by constituents to describe paying for childcare is a second mortgage. That is how expensive childcare has become. People feel they are paying the equivalent of a second mortgage at a time when the housing crisis has seen housing prices and therefore mortgage repayments skyrocket, as well as rent. It is an absolute disgrace and people rightly feel that they are being hit from every angle.

Another constituent described how they are paying €450 a week for childcare in Donegal for two kids. They said they felt they needed to remain working, even though it was at a loss somewhat, because they would be deskilled if they had taken time away from it. I am not sure how everyone does it. So many sacrifices are made.

It is shocking to hear people's stories and, unfortunately, the Minister is happy to let parents blame childcare providers whose hands are tied in many instances because the increase in the subsidies has been written off by the increase in cost of childcare. I spoke to one manager who described having no choice but to increase prices due to cost, just one of which was €5,000 a month for food for the service they provide. We need to accept that the real issue lies with the Department and there is a real need for Ireland to introduce public childcare for everyone at a fair cost.

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