Emer Currie (Dublin West, Fine Gael)

According to data from the Department of children, there has been a 25% reduction in the number of State-supported crèches taking babies under one year of age since 2022. Baby rooms in crèches outside of core funding are not subject to fee caps, meaning parents are likely paying over and above for services they are desperate to secure. These are damning figures and should be a wake-up call to those who constructed core funding and batted off questions last year, insisting supply of places was broadly meeting demand. These figures reflect the reality for parents. Mothers start to look for baby rooms in early pregnancy, delay their return to work and leave work as a result.

In Ireland in 2025, mothers are still penalised. They face a 27% earnings drop after their first baby is born, according to research from Maynooth University. Mothers should not be penalised. The Government must intervene to address the sharp decline in baby rooms in State-backed crèches, which encompass 92% of crèches in the country.

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